The free agency market likely will land Zach Britton in a baseball hotbed.
The New York Yankees and Philadelphia Phillies are the leading contenders to sign the veteran relief pitcher, according to Fancred’s Jon Heyman. Britton joins Manny Machado among players the Yankees and Phillies reportedly are competing to sign this offseason.
Britton started the 2018 season with the Baltimore Orioles, but they dealt him to the Yankees at the trade deadline. He posted a 2-0 record with a 3.10 ERA and seven saves over 40 2/3 innings pitched in 2018.
Many consider the two-time All-Star the premier left-handed relief pitcher in this year’s free agency market. He earned $12 million last season and seeks to hike his next contract terms into line with what closers earn on the open market, NJ.com reported in September.
That report also claimed the Yankees were unlikely to meet his demands, but that was nearly three months ago. We’re unsure whether New York’s or Britton’s position has changed since then, but the MLB winter meetings, the Phillies’ interest and other transactions likely have altered their respective views on the free agent landscape.
