For at least another day, all was quiet on the Zach Britton front. The July 31 non-waiver trade deadline is six days away, and should the Orioles choose to trade the left-handed closer, it obviously will have a significant impact on the club.
Here are five reasons the Orioles could trade Britton:
1. The team faces long odds to get into the postseason.
The Orioles are 48-51 and are contending with roughly half the teams in the American League in the wild-card chase. If the team is going to retool for 2018 and doesn't want to trade third baseman Manny Machado, who like Britton a potential free agent after next season, the closer is their most marketable commodity.
