Report: Astros in 'serious' pursuit of Britton, Dodgers remain engaged

The Baltimore Orioles have at least a pair of teams pursuing Zach Britton, with the Houston Astros appearing to be the more serious contender, a source told Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.

The Los Angeles Dodgers also reportedly remain engaged in discussions with the Astros regarding their left-handed closer.

Britton is among the league's elite relievers, setting the American League record for consecutive saves earlier in July.

The Astros' and Dodgers' bullpens already rank among the league's best in WAR, according to FanGraphs, yet neither boast an elite lefty like Britton.

Houston at least partially addressed its lack of left-handed relief by acquiring Francisco Liriano from the Toronto Blue Jays earlier on deadline day.

Britton is coming off a one-year deal worth $11.4 million, and has one more year of arbitration eligibility left before becoming a free agent following the 2018 season.

Since coming off the disabled list in early July, he has posted a 5.40 ERA over 10 innings.

Whether the Orioles actually decided to trade Britton has been a topic of discussion leading up to the deadline, with conflicting reports on whether they're humoring teams making offers on their elite reliever.