Zach Britton moving on from here? Not so fast, he says
Zach Britton allowed a solo homer to No. 9 hitter Christian Vazquez in the fourth inning but had little other trouble in his two innings of relief work during the Yankees' 4-3 loss to Boston in Game 4 of the ALDS on Tuesday night, Oct. 9, 2018, at Yankee Stadium. Credit: Jim McIsaac
Zach Britton’s brief Yankees career ended with a two-inning appearance in the Red Sox’s 4-3 victory in Game 4 of the ALDS on Tuesday night at Yankee Stadium.
Or did it?
Britton, who was acquired at the trade deadline from Baltimore, is a free agent. The Yankees already have a closer in Aroldis Chapman, so you’d assume Britton would want to sign somewhere he could pick up saves.
Britton, who saved 46 games for the Orioles in 2016, said that ain’t necessarily so.
“You know, I think being here, it’s maybe not as important as I originally thought [to be a closer],” Britton said in the postgame locker room. “I just want to win. Being in Baltimore this year was tough. Experiencing the losing and then going to a team that’s going to win, I think, for a lot of years, this would be obviously one of those destinations I’d want to be at with the young core. These guys are going to be really talented for a long time.”
Britton went 1-0 with a 2.88 ERA and three saves in 25 regular-season games for the Yankees.
On Tuesday, Britton started the fourth inning in relief of CC Sabathia with the Yankees trailing 3-0. Britton gave up a leadoff homer to No. 9 hitter Christian Vazquez, a 338-foot Yankee Stadium special to the short porch in right.
Britton got six outs after that and the Red Sox didn’t score at all against David Robertson, Dellin Betances and Chapman. The Yankees scored one in the fifth and two in the ninth before Craig Kimbrel got Gleyber Torres on a slow roller to third with two men on to end the Yankees’ season.
“It was good to see them battle back,” Britton said. “But unfortunately, the home run, it was the difference.”
Robertson is also a free agent. The Yankees still have Chapman, Betances and Chad Green returning in 2019 to head their bullpen. Perhaps Britton will be back, too.
Anthony Rieber covers sports media and business and professional sports (you know, games and trades and things). He has worked at Newsday since Aug. 31, 1998, and has been in his current position since Jan. 1, 2026.
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