Baltimore Orioles: Latest trade deadline rumors as Monday approaches

The Baltimore Orioles have already proven that they are ready to trade after acquiring right-handed pitcher Jeremy Hellickson in exchange for Hyun Soo Kim and a minor leaguer.

With the trade deadline quickly approaching, more Baltimore Orioles transactions have become part of the rumor mill.

This time, the pairing is with an unexpected team: the Washington Nationals.

Of course, the player that is being discussed in the latest rumors is Zach Britton. Jon Heyman reported that if they do trade Britton, they want a haul worthy of the Aroldis Chapman deal between the Chicago Cubs and the New York Yankees. On his FanRag website, Heyman wrote:

"“[R]ivals say the Orioles have signalled to teams that they seek something above what the Yankees got for Chapman but not quite what they got for Miller.”More from Orioles RumorsRumor: Baltimore Orioles Interested In Michael WachaOrioles select Andrew Politi in Rule 5 DraftBaltimore Orioles Sign Outfielder Nomar Mazara as Winter Meetings ContinueOrioles Rumors: Mike Elias Wants More PitchingBaltimore Orioles Players We May See in the World Baseball Classic"

Could the Nats be a trade partner?

Making a deal with the Nationals would be extremely unexpected, especially considering the history between the neighboring teams. But, the Nationals are in contention at 12.5 games above the next highest team in the NL East – the Miami Marlins

And, if the previous two World Series games have proven anything, a strong bullpen is the key to winning. The Kansas City Royals and the Cubs had dominant bullpens and both coaches rode those pitchers to win the last game of the season. Joe Maddon rode Chapman to the championship, then the Cuban Missile returned to New York with a hefty contract.

Along with the Nationals, a handful of other teams are still looking at him. All are in contention for playoff berths. The Astros and the Dodgers are still looking to build up their pens. All three teams have farm systems that could easily be raided and could begin stocking the O’s minor league teams.

Dan Duquette did make the move to get Hellickson, but it is unclear whether the O’s are buyers or sellers at the trade deadline. They gained a pitcher, but traded two players to get the one.

Could another team get in the way of a Britton trade?

If the Detroit Tigers are clearly in rebuilding mode and they have a closer on the market. Justin Wilson is also drawing the attention of the same teams. Britton and Wilson are both lefties and they are both 29 years old. Wilson has a slightly better ERA than Britton, but he has blown two saves this season in his new role as a closer. Both are highly desirable, but Wilson will probably go before Britton does. And, Wilson could take the Nats out of the conversation with Britton:

If the Orioles are going to be buyers at the deadline, then there is no way that their highly coveted closer will go anywhere. Loyal Orioles fans certainly do not want to see Britton go. But if he does, the haul of players could be substantial. And, the farm system certainly needs

Fangraphs released their latest playoff odds for this season. The Orioles currently have a 3.3% chance of winning a Wild Card spot. It might be time to sell – as those odds are rather difficult to beat.

Next: Orioles: Reflecting on four Hall of Fame players

The deadline is at 4:00 PM Eastern Time on Monday, so the questions about the Orioles future with or without Britton will soon be answered.