Orioles close to dealing Britton to Yankees (updated)

The Orioles and Yankees have made substantial progress tonight toward a trade that would send left-hander Zach Britton to the Bronx and finally close out a sweepstakes that has taken on various forms over the past few weeks.

A source confirmed that talks have escalated quickly and a deal is nearing completion that would bring back three players to the Orioles, including Double-A Trenton right-hander Dillon Tate, but it isn't done.

There's the whole medical review process and other points that need to be finalized, but it appears that Britton will stay in the division for the last few months of the season.

Britton is sitting in the Orioles' bullpen tonight. He hasn't left the team.

The Yankees and Astros emerged as the two favorites, as I reported earlier today, with the Red Sox staying close and a few other teams trying to remain engaged. It appears that the Yankees improved their offer and are on the verge of inserting another power arm into their bullpen.

Tate, 24, is 5-2 with a 3.38 ERA and 1.11 WHIP in 15 starts with Trenton and 16-7 with a 3.53 ERA and 1.26 WHIP in 58 minor league games since the Rangers made him the fourth-overall pick in 2015 out of UC Santa Barbara.

The Yankees acquired Tate and pitchers Nick Green and Erik Swanson from the Rangers for Carlos Beltran on Aug. 1, 2016.

MLB Pipeline ranked Tate as the No. 9 prospect in the Yankees' system and Baseball America ranked him No. 10.

Tate was a healthy scratch tonight at Trenton, another indication that the sides are close to finalizing the deal.

The Orioles have been seeking a young, controllable pitching prospect in the upper levels of a farm system and Tate fits the mold. Two other pitchers could be included in the deal.

Britton has strung together eight scoreless outings in a row to lower his ERA to 3.45 in 15 2/3 innings.

The Athletic first reported that a deal was close.

As for tonight's game, Tim Beckham's two-run homer off Drew Pomeranz in the fifth inning gave the Orioles a 4-3 lead. Jonathan Schoop's two-run shot in the third provided a 2-1 lead before Blake Swihart and Mookie Betts hit back-to-back homers off Yefry Ramírez in the fifth.

Schoop has homered in three consecutive games and four of the last five. His first 12 home runs this season were solo shots, but the last two have come with a runner on base.

Update: I'm told the deal is more likely to become official on Wednesday.

Other pitchers involved are left-hander Josh Rogers and Cody Carroll, as first reported by the New York Post. Rogers, 24, is an 11th-round pick out of Louisville who's 6-8 with a 3.95 ERA and 1.34 WHIP in 19 starts with Scranton-Wilkes Barre. Carroll, 25, is a 22nd-round pick out of Southern Mississippi who's 3-0 with a 2.38 ERA, nine saves and a 1.08 WHIP in 32 relief appearances with Scranton-Wilkes Barre.