The Baltimore Orioles appear to be getting serious about trading their major assets ahead of the July 31 deadline.
According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, the Orioles are contemplating pairing reliever Zach Britton and shortstop Manny Machado together in trade talks in order to get a more comprehensive return in prospects.
The #Orioles have discussed potentially packaging reliever Zach Britton with Manny Machado to enhance the prospect package they”ll receive from #Dodgers or anyone else
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) July 9, 2018
Britton is still finding his groove after rupturing his Achilles last December. He has a 5.06 ERA in 10.2 innings so far, but that hasn’t stopped teams from being interested in him thanks to his past accomplishments.
The one issue that the Orioles may run into is that Britton’s chief suitors may have no need for Machado. One division rival, for instance, might like Britton but don’t have a hole at shortstop, which could hinder this well-intentioned idea.
