BALTIMORE– The Orioles have continued moving their upcoming free agents, after striking a trade agreement with the New York Yankees on Tuesday.
Baltimore will send closer Zach Britton to the Yankees for three pitching prospects.
Britton, 30, has pitched his entire 8-year career in Baltimore.
After coming up as a starter and struggling, Britton was moved to the bullpen in 2014 and turned into one of the most devastating late-inning arms in the game.
He led the league with 47 saves in 2016, the last of three consecutive seasons in which Britton had a sub-2.00 ERA.
In return for Britton, the Orioles get three young pitchers with various degrees of promise.
The headliner of the deal is prospect P Dillon Tate, who was a former first round pick by the Texas Rangers that was traded to the Yankees a couple seasons ago.
Tate, 24, has made 15 starts at AA this season, posting a 5-2 record with a 3.38 ERA in nearly 83 innings.
He is known for his plus fastball and power curveball that could play in the Major Leagues.
The other two prospects Baltimore acquired, Cody Carroll and Josh Rogers, have significantly less promise, but could play a part in the Orioles’ plans down the line.
