BALTIMORE -- There is a reason the Red Sox have interest in Zach Britton. Do you want to know why? Just ask the players who have had to face him.
It's no secret Britton is the most coveted reliever on the market heading into next week's non-waiver trade deadline. He is eligible to become a free agent at season's end, meaning the cost to acquire the Baltimore closer doesn't figure to be as uncomfortable as what Cleveland gave up for their recent acquisitions, relievers Brad Hand and Adam Cimber.
That and Britton is really, really good.
The 30-year-old has only allowed runs in three of his 16 outings, getting back the velocity and feel for a 96 mph two-seamer that is easy to marvel at. It's a pitch that may be one of the more unique offerings in baseball, making the Britton one of the more unique pitchers in the game.
"He basically holds it in a cutter grips and turns it into a sinker. It's unique in that way," said Red Sox assistant pitching coach Brian Bannister. "And he does it at a high velocity. It's just one of those unique things that he figured out on his own. It's not something you go out and teach guys. It just works for him. It's an outlier pitch."
However he does it, Britton leaves an impression. That was a reality easily uncovered when asking around the Red Sox' clubhouse Monday.
"He's got a really quick arm. It's a short arm. His ball just moves so much. With the velocity he throws with and with the amount of moment he has, when he's around the zone it's impossible to do anything but swing and miss over the top of it. All he has to do is throw that fastball and it's just hard to do anything with," said Red Sox infielder Brock Holt. "I don't know if uncomfortable is the right word. (Aroldis) Chapman is uncomfortable because he's so big. He's not so much uncomfortable because he's around the zone. He's unique. He's someone you just don't want to face because you know you probably aren't going to be successful against him. He's just one of those guys who has really good stuff and it's really hard to do anything with it other than pound it into the ground or swing over the top of it."
"Great guy. Great teammate," said former Oriole Steve Pearce. "And what he does on the mound is special. With runners on base it wasn't really scary with him pitching. Not a lot of people could connect on his sinker. You got a lot of guys rolling over."
"That two-seamer moves a lot," noted Mookie Betts. "Sometimes I don't think sometimes he knows how much it moves. That spin on the ball, going down like it does, makes it's it really tough. It's one of the most unique pitches."
The Red Sox aren't certainly alone in their pursuit of Britton, with multiple reports identifying the Astros, Cubs, Rockies Brewers, Braves and Diamondbacks all expressing interest in the reliever.
