MLB Rumors: Latest Trade Buzz on Zach Britton, Adrian Beltre, More

A massive divide exists between contending MLB teams vying for a postseason berth and struggling teams playing out the string.

That is most notably the case in the American League, where MLB.com only gives six of 15 teams a three percent chance or better to make the postseason.

The competition is a bit more balanced in the National League, but four teams in the senior circuit are 15 games under .500 or worse.

Due to that imbalance, many players on non-contending teams have been involved in trade rumors. You can take a look at the latest news on four of them below.

Zach Britton

The Baltimore Orioles sit 40.5 games in back of the Boston Red Sox for first place in the American League East. They need to undergo a massive rebuild and started that process by trading superstar shortstop Manny Machado to the Los Angeles Dodgers for five prospects.

Left-handed reliever Zach Britton appears to the next Orioles on the move, and he has no shortage of teams after him, per Jerry Crasnick of ESPN:

Britton has battled forearm and Achilles injuries over the past two years, which has caused regression after a phenomenal three-year stretch (2014-2016) in which he posted a 1.38 ERA, per Baseball Reference.

However, the southpaw has thrown seven straight scoreless frames dating back to late June, allowing just three hits during that time. While he may not return to that old 2014-2016 form this year, a healthy Britton would undoubtedly be an asset to any team's pen.

On the Orioles' side, they have to be happy knowing that the Cleveland Indians traded for the other big left-handed reliever name on the block in Brad Hand, formerly of the San Diego Padres. That may increase the asking price for Britton, who is clearly the best southpaw reliever left (and arguably the best one overall).

Of note, keep an eye on the Philadelphia Phillies and Atlanta Braves, two teams fighting for the NL East crown who have below-average bullpens (the Phils rank 17th in ERA, while the Braves are 19th). It wouldn't be surprising at all to see Britton pitching for one of them down the stretch.

Adrian Beltre

With the Texas Rangers sitting in last place in the American League West, it seems inevitable that a few players will find new homes before the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline.

However, one of their stars doesn't look like he will be headed anywhere, per T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com:

"The Rangers aren't expected to trade veteran third baseman Adrian Beltre unless circumstances change drastically. They would prefer to keep Beltre for his leadership qualities and try to re-sign him for next season. Beltre has also indicated a willingness to return, and Daniels made it clear that the future Hall of Famer's value to the Rangers is above what they normally would consider in a trade situation."

Beltre was a key member of the 2011 American League pennant-winning Rangers team that was one out away from beating the St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series. He's been phenomenal ever since joining the team prior to that campaign, hitting .307 with an .869 OPS. Although the 39-year-old is now in the twilight of his career, he is still effective, hitting .286 alongside a .739 OPS.

As Sullivan noted, Beltre's value to the team is more than a typical third baseman hitting .286. He's one of the best players in team history and will forever be a legend in Arlington, Texas. Although the Rangers would likely get a decent return for Beltre, who could help a contending team down the stretch with his solid bat and glove, they may be better off keeping him.

Jacob deGrom and Noah Syndergaard

After starting the season 11-1, the New York Mets have gone 29-54 over their past 81 games, dropping them into last place in the National League East. They are 13.0 games behind in the NL wild-card race and need to make some moves as they look toward the future.

Starting pitchers Jacob deGrom and Noah Syndergaard have been talked about in trade rumors, and James Wagner of the New York Times said:

The Mets' stance makes perfect sense: At their best, deGrom and Syndergaard are two of the best pitchers in the league. DeGrom is in top form right now, pitching to a 1.68 ERA over his first 19 starts this year. He's also struck out 149 batters in 123.1 innings.

During his five-year career with the team, deGrom has never had worse than a 3.53 ERA, and he's also struck out more than one batter per inning in four of his five seasons.

Thor is phenomenal at his peak: In 2016, he struck out 218 batters in 183.2 innings and posted a 2.60 ERA. He has battled injuries over the past two years and has started only 19 games since April 2017, but Syndergaard still has a solid 2.97 ERA during that time.

While the Mets may be better off trading one (or both) in order to restock the farm system and start a complete rebuild, they shouldn't do so unless they receive excellent offers in return.