Report: Chances of Britton trade growing more unlikely

The Baltimore Orioles appear ready to hang onto one of their most valuable assets.

It's become increasingly unlikely the team will move reliever Zach Britton ahead of the July 31 trade deadline, according to ESPN's Jerry Crasnick.

The trade market for Britton has reportedly been slow to develop, and much of that is related to the health of the 29-year-old who's appeared in only 16 games this season.

Unsurprisingly, the Orioles are said to be asking for a lot in exchange for Britton, while interested teams are hesitant to meet the asking price largely due to uncertainty regarding the left-hander's ability to pitch big innings down the stretch, Crasnick notes.

There have been conflicting reports regarding the status of the Orioles ahead of the trade deadline. With the club scuffling, it was initially expected the team would sell but executive Dan Duquette refuted that, saying recently the team would not trade core assets.

Now it's expected the Orioles are prepared to go "either way" with their approach to trades, sources told Crasnick.

After missing most of May and all of June with a forearm injury, Britton has been slowly eased back into action. On July 23, he converted his first save since mid-April and has posted a 4.50 ERA since returning from the disabled list.