Baltimore Orioles: Now is not the time to release Zach Britton

As the Baltimore Orioles players and fans are learning about the latest news regarding Zach Britton, they may think it is time to release him and find someone else to close.

But, I beg to differ. The Baltimore Orioles should not let their ace closer go, just because he had an incredibly unfortunate injury to his Achilles tendon.

According to MLB.com, Britton will be out for four to six months recovering from surgery to repair his right Achilles tendon. Of course, any injury like this is devastating for the player and for his teammates.

He’s still Zach Britton

Fortunately, his pitching arm and upper body are ok; so, once he gets his strength back in his legs, he will be able to pitch again. Unfortunately, this injury happened at the start of his final season under Orioles control. Like Manny Machado and Adam Jones, Britton will be a free agent at the end of the 2018 season.

The O’s did have an opportunity to trade him to the Houston Astros, but the trade never happened. Instead, the Astros acquired Justin Verlander at the last possible moment. Many were expecting that the O’s would hang onto Britton in 2018. If the team is not in playoff contention at the 2018 trade deadline, they would most likely trade him to a team that is. Now, this might not happen. This means that the O’s will most likely not be able to cash in on what was a very valuable player.

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A potential opportunity

But, it does open up an opportunity that the O’s should consider. Now that Britton will not be able to showcase his immense talent for the majority of the season, his value will drop. The Orioles could offer him a contract that would respect his time with the team and his ability, but without going crazy.

He will have surgery immediately according to MLB.com. His recovery is expected to take at least six months. There is a chance that he could miss the entire 2018 season. But, is a freak accident enough to get rid of a fantastic player?

The Orioles do have closers and relievers (Brad Brach, Mychal Givens) who have proven they can get the job done in Britton’s place. Instead of letting him go, the team could be heroic and offer him a respectable contract, but one that is less than he would have commanded if he were healthy. The odds are good that other teams are hoping that the O’s will release him so they can do exactly that.

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If the O’s can lock him up with an extension, they may not have Britton in 2018. But, they will have him for several seasons after that. Instead of looking at this accident as closing a window, it may have actually opened a door.