After trading their superstar infielder Manny Machado to the Los Angeles Dodgers last week, the Baltimore Orioles announced the move had officially kicked off a rebuilding phase for the team. Now, the O's have traded their second all-star player in closer Zach Britton to the New York Yankees for three prospects.
The Orioles get Dillon Tate, Josh Rogers and Cody Carroll from the Yankees, all pitchers. All three players are currently in the minor league system, but scouts believe they will all develop into major league caliber players by next season, if not towards the end of the current season.
Britton was drafted by the Orioles in 2006 and made his debut with the team in 2011. Zach was used as a starting pitcher sporadically from '11 to '13, bouncing back and forth to the minors and battling injuries. From 2014 on, Britton pitched exclusively from the Orioles' bullpen and became a dominant closer. In 2016, he put up some of the best statistics in the history of baseball for a relief pitcher, completing 47 saves with a 0.54 ERA.
Who will go next? Teams have been in contact with the Orioles regarding potential trades for Brad Brach, Jonathan Schoop, Kevin Gausman and Dylan Bundy. The MLB non-waiver trade deadline is Tuesday, July 31st.
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