Baltimore Orioles rumors heat up again as they continue their rebuild, reliever Zach Britton is certainly the next trade piece of interest moving towards the 2018 MLB trade deadline.
Now withManny Machadoshipped to the Los Angeles Dodgers, theBaltimore Oriolesrumors now shift focus to another attractive trade chip in closerZach Britton.
Per MLB Network Insider Jon Heyman, trade competition seems strong with several contending teams in need of a closer. Heyman also tweets that with other relievers off the market, the Orioles should expect a big return on Britton, similar to the Machado trade that sent five prospects to Baltimore.
Competition appears keen for Zach Britton. At least 6 teams in, some in obvious need. With Herrera, Hand and Familia gone, the O’s may do as well for him as they did for Machado.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman)July 22, 2018
ESPN’sBuster Onley reportsthe Orioles are signaling to teams they’re in pursuit of completing a trade similar or better than what the Royals received in theKelvin Herreratrade. The Nationals-Royals mid-June trade featured prospects Kelvin Gutierrez,Blake PerkinsandYohanse Morel.
With six teams in the hunt for Britton, the Chicago Cubs and Houston Astros appear as leaders for the Britton sweepstakes.
TheCubs top five prospectsfeature four right-handed pitchers and a shortstop, something that should draw interest from the Orioles as they possibly construct a trade in the next week.
The Astros own the No. 8 overall prospect according to MLB.com in outfielderKyle Tucker, who is currently playing at the major league level for Houston. However, Tucker has a .143/.211/.171 slash line in his last 15 games, illustrating he may not be MLB ready just yet.
Right behind Tucker at No. 9 overall inMLB.com’s Top 100 Prospectsis right-handerForrest Whitley. Through six starts at Double-A Corpus Christi, Whitley holds a 4.29 ERA and a winless record.
The Atlanta Braves and Los Angeles Dodgers have also shown interest in trading for Britton. Per ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick, the Dodgers has concerns over the luxury tax and the Braves are wavering to give away promising prospects for a rental piece in Britton.
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Nonetheless, Britton is unquestionably playing his final days with the Baltimore Orioles, the team who selected him in the third round of the 2006 MLB June Amateur draft. Britton earned two All-Star selections and named American League Reliever of the Year in 2016.
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