Baltimore Orioles: Could the Nats be trade partners? Rumors have arrived.

With no baseball games played today, trade rumors dominated baseball news and the Baltimore Orioles were in the mix.

The latest trade rumors pair the Baltimore Orioles with their nearest neighbors, the Washington Nationals.

The rumor was a discussion about Zach Britton. And, the Nats weren’t the only team that was rumored to show interest.

According to MLB Trade Rumors, the Los Angeles Dodgers also inquired about the availability of the Orioles’ biggest asset. And, the two teams asked about the other reliable relievers Brad Brach and Mychal Givens. The Nats showed the most interest due to their complete lack of dominating closers.

The information about the inquiries came from Jon Heyman who posted a piece on Fanrag. While selling Britton could yield several prospects, the idea of selling would be completely new to the Orioles. According to Heyman’s piece:

"“Owner Peter Angelos “has never sold” points out one rival GM. Angelos is 88 now, but that has never been his M.O. Angelos always has been a “go for it” kind of guy.”"

Getting an 88-year-old team owner to change his mind about the course of his team can be next to impossible. Even though the Orioles are in 7.5 games back from the top of the American League East, they are only four games back from a Wild Card berth. The Orioles have played 88 games and with half of the season remaining, there is a chance that things could change in the O’s favor.

Baseball is an odd game and any team’s win-loss record can turn on a dime. With the offensive players on this roster, the team could start winning. And, it seems like Peter Angelos is of the mind that the team still has wins to get.

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If the postseason began tomorrow, then the O’s would have no chance of getting in. But, there are a 74 more games on the schedule. Being four games out of the Wild Card game at this point in the season does not mean that a team is finished. By no means should the Orioles roll over and give up. But, if they do not come out of the All-Star Break and get a bunch of W’s, then the 88-year-old Angelos might need to be convinced to change his way of thinking.

The Nationals might have the best pitcher in baseball right now with Max Scherzer. And, the team has some other strong arms in the starting rotation. But, they are lacking a strong closer. Their top closer is Matt Albers who has only two saves under his belt in his five opportunities. They need a closer and the Orioles have one.

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The Nationals are also known for overpaying for players that they need or want – so opening up discussions for Britton could be a wise move for Angelos. No matter how much it hurts to deal with the guys next door.