MLB trade rumors provide an update on the possibility of a Chris Archer trade by the Tampa Bay Rays. While it’s the worst kept secret in baseball that the Rays are trying to trade Archer, a deal still hasn’t taken place during the 2018 MLB offseason. A new report by Jon Heyman for FanRag Sports may shed some new light on the situation.
Heyman reports that the Rays may be asking for too much in a Chris Archer trade. Among the quotes that he provided from other front office personnel around the league was that Tampa Bay “wanted our whole farm system” in a possible deal. With how good Archer has looked at times for the Rays, it’s not too surprising that the franchise expects a lot in return for him.
During the 2017 MLB season, Archer struggled a bit on the mound, despite leading the league in starts (34). He posted a 4.07 ERA and 1.259 WHIP over 201 innings of work, making it the third straight season he had pitched at least 201 innings for the Rays. In six years with the Rays, he has now appeared in 162 games (160 starts), posting a 51-63 record, a 3.63 ERA, and a 1.214 WHIP over 967 total innings. He has also made the American League All-Star team twice in that span of time.
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— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) March 2, 2018
These latest MLB trade rumors seem to make it obvious that unless the Tampa Bay Rays suddenly receive an impressive offer, Chris Archer is going to be the Opening Day starter for the team. He still has four years left on an extremely team-friendly contract, so it also isn’t the end of the world if the team is forced to hold a 29-year-old starting pitcher. To put it in perspective, he has future salaries of just $34.08 million combined over the next four baseball seasons. That’s very affordable.
It’s also possible that the Rays are waiting for the free-agent market to thin out a bit. There are several great starting pitchers, like Jake Arrieta and Lance Lynn, still available in free agency. Once those two pitchers have signed with teams, it may make another franchise (or two) desperate for starting pitching. At that point, maybe the offers will get a bit better. A team like the Seattle Mariners, for instance, could also use the depth that Archer would provide. If the Mariners start the season well, expect them to get linked to Archer in MLB trade rumors.
