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MLB Trade Deadline 2017: 5 trades that should have happened

By Joshua Sadlock

BALTIMORE, MD - JULY 23: Zach Britton #53 of the Baltimore Orioles pitches during a baseball game against the Houston Astros at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on July 23, 2017 in Baltimore, Maryland. The Orioles won 9-7. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
BALTIMORE, MD - JULY 23: Zach Britton #53 of the Baltimore Orioles pitches during a baseball game against the Houston Astros at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on July 23, 2017 in Baltimore, Maryland. The Orioles won 9-7. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) /
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BALTIMORE, MD – JULY 23: Zach Britton #53 of the Baltimore Orioles pitches during a baseball game against the Houston Astros at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on July 23, 2017 in Baltimore, Maryland. The Orioles won 9-7. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
BALTIMORE, MD – JULY 23: Zach Britton #53 of the Baltimore Orioles pitches during a baseball game against the Houston Astros at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on July 23, 2017 in Baltimore, Maryland. The Orioles won 9-7. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) /

1. Zach Britton to the Astros

The rumors surrounding Orioles closer Zach Britton were swirling hot and heavy yesterday. At one point, he appeared headed to the Cleveland Indians, who were supposedly “pushing hard” to get him. The Los Angeles Dodgers and Houston Astros were also working on convincing the Orioles to accept their offers.

How close the Orioles actually got to trading Britton will never be known. The Dodgers ultimately elected to trade for Yu Darvish. That’s not to say they could not have still built a package for the Britton, but Andrew Friedman does not operate that way. Orioles Executive Vice President Dan Duquette did not sound like he was blown away by the offers for Britton.

"“That’s a speculative question,” Duquette said, laughing. “Zach Britton was one of the top pitchers in the American League last year and because he had an injury this year, he hasn’t quite returned to that form. But I think he’s going to return to that form, and that, to me, is what Zach Britton is. He’s one of the top relievers in the American League. “There’s a steep price to pay for the relievers who were traded last year and that really wasn’t the market this year.”"

Britton has been to the disabled list twice this year with an elbow/forearm strain, but it has not cut into his velocity in a meaningful way. His groundball rate is still near 80 percent since being activated. A few rough outings with seeing-eye singles leading to runs should not have been enough to scare teams off.

Next: MLB Trade Deadline 2017: 5 teams that emerge winners

The Astros have their own long-term vision and plan, and apparently it does not involve trading multiple top-100 prospects for a closer. However, with the Nationals now adding three quality relievers to their bullpen, Houston now has the worst ‘pen of all the major World Series contenders. Britton would have changed that.

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