Huston Street is quiet about contract negotiations with Angels

Huston Street, the normally affable and approachable closer, was in no mood Monday to discuss contract negotiations with the Angels.

“I’m not talking right now,” Street said.

That was not necessarily an indication talks have stalled. Street, who acts as his agent, hoped to have a deal in place by opening day, and he said he doesn’t want negotiations to be a distraction for him or the club. But General Manager Jerry Dipoto said it is “still possible” the sides could come to an agreement.

“There’s never been a deadline with Huston,” Dipoto said. “We’ve had discussions, and we’re continuing to have discussions. He wants to be here. We want him here. We’re not in a rush to get anything done, and we never will be.”

Street is 36-29 with a 2.82 earned-run average and 275 saves in 10 seasons. The 31-year-old right-hander has converted 97 of 103 save opportunities since 2012 for a major league-best 94.2% conversion rate in that span. He is slated to be paid $7 million this season after the Angels exercised his 2015 option.

Street is looking for a four-year deal that would begin this season and pay between what closer David Robertson received from the Chicago White Sox (four years, $46 million) and setup man Andrew Miller got from the New York Yankees (four years, $36 million) during the off-season. The Angels are believed to be pushing for a three-year deal.

No matter how negotiations play out, Dipoto doesn’t think they will be a distraction.

“Huston is very mature in his outlook,” Dipoto said. “He understands business. He understands pitching. He understands his value to his team and his place in the industry. It’s very clear that he understands how the market works, and we’ll take it day by day.

“Some players prefer not to have discussions during the season, some are comfortable talking back and forth. The friendly tone of the conversations we’ve had to date … it’s not a hardcore negotiation where we’re at a table starting at each other trying to find out whether we will or we won’t” make a deal.

Short hops

Garrett Richards, who is recovering from left knee surgery, is scheduled to throw 100 pitches in an intrasquad game in Arizona on Thursday. Barring a setback, the right-hander would begin a minor league rehabilitation stint April 14 with an eye toward returning to the rotation by late April. … The Angels have lost seven consecutive games dating to last season, which ended with a three-game sweep at the hands of the Seattle Mariners and a three-game sweep at the hands of the Kansas City Royals in the division series. … Manager Mike Scioscia said he’s leaning toward right-hander Drew Rucinski, who made the team as a long reliever, to start April 14 in Texas, the first time the Angels will need a fifth starter.