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MLB trade rumors: Rays’ Chris Archer to Rangers?

By Ted Fleming

Jul 9, 2016; Boston, MA, USA; Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Chris Archer (22) jokes with his teammates during the eighth inning against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports
Jul 9, 2016; Boston, MA, USA; Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Chris Archer (22) jokes with his teammates during the eighth inning against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports /
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Texas has just what Tampa Bay wants, prospects and lots of them like Jurickson Profar or Joey Gallo who are both major league ready.

As they begin a brief two-game series on the west coast with the Dodgers tonight, the Rays have a number of assets that are drawing interest from other clubs. At 38-60, all fingers are pointing to them offloading one or more of their starting pitchers. The one name that has been at the top of every discussion so far is Chris Archer and according to Jon Paul Morosi at MLB.com, he is predicted to land in Arlington, Texas.

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The Rangers want a proven rotation guy and while Jake Odorizzi or Matt Moore would also fit in nicely, the Rays really would like to keep the 27-year-old right-hander if they could simply because he has a team friendly contract that runs through 2019. That said, they also need to replenish their minor leagues and the Rangers could be the one team that puts a package on the table that president of baseball operations Matt Silverman won’t hesitate to pull the trigger on.

"“I think there’s a way for Texas to make this deal work with Jurickson Profar in it, and I think there’s a way for Texas to make this deal work without Profar in it,” said Morosi. “They have enough iterations and options and it’s a credit to their farm system. They’ve got arms, they’ve got bats. They’ve got the pieces that Tampa Bay needs here. Sometimes a fit makes so much sense that you just can’t be surprised when it turns into a deal.”"

Joey Gallo’s name is sure to come up in any potential deal because he can play third base and could lessen the public relations problems they could get if they ship the popular Evan Longoria to the Dodgers or elsewhere. In five minor league seasons Gallo has 146 homers to his credit including seasons where he banged out 40 and 42. The best part is he is Major League-ready.

Profar, on the other hand, might just be untouchable unless the Rangers get desperate enough to offer him, but make no mistake, it will be either/or, not both.

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