The trade market for closer Zach Britton seems to be evolving by the day as the Orioles move closer toward dealing their top pending free-agent trade chip, and two teams have emerged as front-runners for the best available reliever.
The Houston Astros and New York Yankees were leading a crowded pack of suitors for Britton as of Tuesday evening, according to an industry source.
Discussions with the Arizona Diamondbacks have become more active as well, and both the Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers still remain in the mix, with Boston's current offer more attractive than that of the Dodgers, the source said.
The Orioles are working to finalize a trade by the end of this week. The non-waiver trade deadline is next Tuesday.
Britton, who entered Tuesday's game against the Red Sox having recorded eight straight scoreless outings while holding hitters to a .125 batting average over that span.
Statistically, the Yankees and Astros own the best two bullpens in baseball _ the Yankees bullpen's 2.75 ERA entering Tuesday ranked first and the Astros' 2.96 mark is second _ and both teams realize the value of stacking their bullpen with power arms down the stretch and throughout the postseason.
The Astros have long coveted Britton, and the Orioles were close to moving Britton to Houston as last year's trade deadline, but a deal fell apart in the 11th hour. Opening Day closer Ken Giles lost his job, and right-hander Hector Rondon has assumed the role admirably, but Britton would give Houston a more battle-tested ninth-inning option.
The Yankees own a stacked bullpen with closer Aroldis Chapman and setup men Dellin Betances, David Roberton and Chad Green, so adding Britton to that mix would add another power arm that could shorten games.
