Scott Boras, agent for star Orioles closer Zach Britton, doesn’t think the club will be looking to pursue an extension with his client in the near future, Dan Connolly of BaltimoreBaseball.com reports. Britton has two more years of arbitration eligibility before he hits free agency in the 2018-2019 offseason.
With so much team control remaining, it perhaps isn’t surprising that the O’s are prioritizing other business before getting around to a long-term deal with Britton. Extending Britton now would also be something of a buy-high move given that the closer is in the midst of perhaps his most dominating season yet — an 0.60 ERA, 9.8 K/9 and 3.57 K/BB rate over 60 1/3 innings, plus a stunning 80.4% ground ball rate and a career-best 96.3 mph average fastball velocity. Britton is a perfect 44-for-44 in save opportunities in 2016.
Needless to say, Britton will be getting a healthy raise in his third year of arbitration eligibility. Britton and the O’s avoided arbitration in his first two arb years by agreeing to salaries of $3.2MM for 2015 and $6.75MM for this season. As a Super Two player, Britton is on track for yet another big arbitration payday following the 2017 campaign; if he continues on his current pace, he could be looking at a 2017 salary in the neighborhood of $12-13MM.
Having already achieved quite a bit of financial security, Britton has some negotiating leverage on his side. It could also help he (and Boras) in waiting to discuss an extension until after this offseason, as Aroldis Chapman and Kenley Jansen are poised to set new standards for reliever contracts.
From Baltimore’s perspective, there are some arguments for exploring an extension now. Locking Britton up to even a two-year deal through his remaining arb years would get the team some cost certainty. The Orioles have traditionally been wary about signing pitchers to a significant multi-year deals, though they’re more comfortable doing so when it’s an arm they’re already familiar with (i.e. Darren O’Day’s four-year contract last winter). Britton also doesn’t carry a significant health risk; as MLBTR contributor Bradley Woodrum outlined in his study of Tommy John injuries earlier this year, there is a well below-average chance Britton will eventually require TJ surgery.
Orioles should trade Britton this offseason and get some top level prospects.
I have thought the same thing after seeing the return the Yankees got for Chapman. Britton is a top 3 closer and would bring back a huge return for the O’s that could give them the great top level pitching prospects that they have been needing.
When I recall what they got for Uehara and for Erik Bedard, this could indeed be a golden opportunity to trade Zach. In all likelihood, he’s never going to have another season like this and his contract could go to the moon with Shoiwalter running up his save totals ion 3-run leads like what happened with Jim Johnson.
This is what will happen, Orioles trade Zack Britton to Seattle for CF Kyle Lewis and SP Andrew Moore. If you don’t understand look at there stats this season then look at the Bedard to Seattle trade.
I understand your sentiment, but to compare Britton to Jim Johnson is a fallacy. Not even close to being the same pitchers. Britton’s sinker is nearly unhittable, so his success is sustainable.
Also, despite what all the armchair GMs are saying here, the Os aren’t trading Britton any time soon. He’s their one and only team developed pitching prospect that has worked out (Gausman and Bundy are still works in progress).
They gave up on Arrieta and they’re going to be scared to do the same with their pitchers for the foreseeable future.
They arent giving up on Britton though, they succeeded and should attempt to reap the long-term benefits of prospect return which could extend the success window.
Yea, but here’s the thing: the Orioles aren’t built, and aren’t trying to be built, for the long term. They last won a WS in 1983, so God Forbid they don’t win it this year (not sure if most of you guys have noticed, but they ARE contenders, in spite of what ESPN will tell you), they’re going to try to win it all next year. So, if you want to speculate about trading Britton, let’s focus on the 2017 offseason, because there is a 0.00000000% chance they even think about trading him this offseason. This really should be the end of discussion on that, but I’m guessing it won’t.
Maybe the O’s could look to trade Britton to Atlanta for Newcomb, Allard, and maybe Albies (only because Hardy is getting old and Albies could be an instant replacement when Hardy’s contract is up). The O’s would also have to give up something else but this would be a great trade for them. Giving them the top pitching prospects they need with both being left handed.
Or maybe not? You never know what the world will throw at ya! The braves already have Johnson, Vizcaino, and Cabrera and would never give up any of those three guys, especially for Zachary Britton. Use your brain please.
Britton is better than any relief pitcher on the Braves staff. You act like Johnson is good. He led the majors in saves one year and then the O’s traded him. He hasn’t been good since and Britton is still only 28 so he is still pretty young. Based on what elite closers are being traded for, this would be a reasonable trade.
Where is the logic for the Braves here? As a rebuilding team, they were already smart to cash in on Kimbrel. So now you want them to essentially reverse it to grab Britton? Overpaying for a top closer is the last thing a rebuilding team needs to do. And I’m not saying that specific trade is an overpay, I just mean when you look at what Kimbrel, Chapman, and Giles got in return, the returns are just outrageous for a rebuilding team to give up.
I understand that, I’m just saying if the Braves would for some reason be interested, this would be where the O’s should start with a trade, just based off of what other elite closers are going for.
Why would you propose a trade after your first thought was “if for some reason”? Morons on this site continue to run rampant.
Negotiate a 2 year deal around 28 mill, back end the money, hopefully get 85% of this production next year on the low end part of the deal, that’s still a top 5 closer and trade him for prospects which should net atleast 2 top 100s, and save that money on the back end of the deal. Have to think towards the future, and closer is not a place to sink long term money in an extension.
They could sell high after this season and get a bigger return. If he decreases production next year his value will drop.
Is he going to win the Cy?
No. Your boy, Rick Porcello will win it. Stop trolling.
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