Tampa Bay Rays Rumors: Potential Trades for Chris Archer
In a Rays rumors market with little starting pitching talent, Tampa Bay Rays’ starter Chris Archer stands out as one of the top options. Though his numbers are down, he’s arguably the top arm available this summer.
The Rays’ should trade Chris Archer, and based on Rays rumors, they have plenty of interest. Will they, though? That’s a different story.
Interest for the 29-year-old Archer is certainly there, as multiple teams have inquired about him as the trade deadline approaches.
It appears that three teams have shown the most interest in Archer, who is under contract till 2022; the New York Yankees, Atlanta Braves and San Diego Padres.
All three clubs are on different trajectories.
The Yankees are eyeing the World Series’ this year, while Atlanta is producing its own version of New York’s “year ahead of schedule” rebuild. San Diego, though, is in the midst of its rebuild. Its farm is loaded, and adding Archer would give a boost to a pretty boring rotation.
As Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic put it, the Rays’ are in a difficult situation.
“The Rays suspect Archer’s performance eventually will catch up to his peripherals,” Rosenthal said. “Their fear is if they trade him, he might benefit from a new voice, a tweak here or there, and turn into the pitcher they envision. Still, there also is risk in keeping Archer — risk of injury, risk of decline…Still, these decisions never are easy. The player you trade might haunt you. The players you acquire might bust.”
The Rays are right for being hesitant about an Archer-deal. Will they get the right return for him? Will he blossom if traded, or even worse, dealt to the Yankees?
These are questions that management must fret over. For now, lets take a look at what a potential deal might look like.
Atlanta Braves
Archer would probably be pretty happy headed to the Braves. He’d become a member of a young, energetic team thats exceeded expectations in 2018.
It has become clear the Braves are a year ahead of their “arrival date,” with guys like Ronald Acuna and Ozzie Albies lighting it up.
Now, the Braves don’t need Archer. But, they’d love to have him. They have Mike Foltynewicz and Sean Newcomb dealing at the MLB-level. Behind them, they have a ton of truly great pitching prospects.
Could some of them be used to get Archer? Definitely. But, would the Braves want to deal 2-3 of them for a piece they don’t absolutely need? That’s where things get murky.
Archer owns a 2.70 ERA in 18 innings vs. National League East opponents over the last three seasons. For someone under control till 2022, those are the numbers the Braves should covet.
If Tampa approaches a deal for Archer the right way, they should demand no less than one elite, top-tier prospect back. The Braves happen to have just that.
After Jim Bowden of the Athletic reported “the trade price for Archer is so ridiculously high,” it’s difficult to envision a scenario where GM Alex Anthopoulos meets Tampa’s request and trades top prospects Mike Soroka or Kyle Wright.
Instead, Kolby Allard or Ian Anderson could become the (very good) centerpieces.
San Diego Padres
The Padres’ would be an interesting landing spot for Archer. As Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic reported, the team is making a “big push” for him.
One would think that after dealing Brad Hand, Adam Cimber and (potentially) Tyson Ross and Kirby Yates, the team wouldn’t add someone like Archer.
But, as Rosenthal points out, the Padres have the pieces to make a deal work. They also view 2020 as a year in which they’ll be able to contend. Since Archer is a free agent after the 2021 season, the Padres could get two postseasons from him.
But, if the team is out of contention till 2020, you’re really only trading for two seasons of Archer. Two seasons in which you hope the team contends.
The Padres wouldn’t have to worry about their prospects blossoming with the Rays’, as the two won’t see each other aside from rare interleague play and *gulp* the World Series.
With this being said, the Padres could give a compelling offer to Tampa. San Diego GM AJ Preller has done a miraculous job of rebuilding his farm system after failed trades from a few seasons ago.
Fernando Tatis Jr. Mackenzie Gore and Francisco Mejia round out a top-three of elite talent in the farm. Behind him exists Cal Quantrill, Luis Urias and Anderson Espinoza.
Let’s say Tatis and Gore are off limits. That’s where the fun is.
New York Yankees
Zach Britton was just traded from the Orioles to New York, so this deal could happen. If Archer were to don the pinstripes, though, it’d cost a lot more.
It’s no secret; the Yankees are absolutely in the hunt for starting pitching, and will likely land one before the deadline.
The question, though, is who? Well, they’ve been connected to just about every starter on the market. Archer has long been thought of as a potential target for the Yankees, but it’s never been clear as to whether or not Tampa would trade him in the division.
Just as money does for free agents, prospects talk for teams. If New York offered some combination of LHP Justus Sheffield, RHP Luis Medina and IF Tyler Wade, Tampa would take a long hard look at it.
The Yankees’ had a scout on hand for Archer’s 13 K performance vs. the Marlins, according to MLB.com’s Bill Chastain. Of course, it was against the Marlins, so it shouldn’t be taken as a true “ace” like performance, but rather decimation of a poor lineup.
The interest is certainly there, but it’s doubtful the Rays’ would deal Archer to the Yankees when plenty of other teams are interested. Considering he’d be able to beat up on Tampa until 2021 as a Yankee, it’s likely he stays put in Tampa or gears up for another team.
dark. Next. What Should the Phillies Do?
So which of these proposals do you think fit, or are there other Rays rumors that you believe are more likely? Comment below!