The New York Yankees
Why they should:
Though they just acquired J.A. Happ recently, this is a team that is going for it all in 2018.
They’ve seen some struggles from Sonny Gray this year, and could be looking to move him to other teams who would have interest. This would open up a rotation spot that Chris Archer could fill quite nicely.
The Yankees also have the tall order of trying to chase down the Boston Red Sox in the AL East to avoid playing a one-game, win-or-go-home Wild Card showdown. Upgrading the rotation with Archer might be the key piece to give the Pinstripes the push down the stretch to win the division.
Why they shouldn’t:
The cost for Archer will be high for anyone but expect it to be highest for the Yankees, an AL East division rival. Tampa Bay surely won’t pass over its ace for a lesser return package, only to face him multiple times over the next three seasons.
There’s also this issue – the Yankees certainly want Chris Archer, but do they need him? If New York can’t work a Gray trade out, they’d have a logjam of starting pitchers. Potentially moving Gray out of the rotation to be a long-man out of the bullpen would greatly diminish his trade value if they tried to move him in the winter.