Milwaukee Brewers – Chris Archer is a Brewer by July 1st
Milwaukee sure could use an ace pitcher like Chris Archer heading into 2018. The Brewers have made their intentions clear this off-season: compete for a playoff spot right now. They made a bold trade for former Marlins outfielder Christian Yelich, a budding superstar who is just 26 years old. They also added veteran outfielder Lorenzo Cain in free agency to bolster an offense that finished 20th in the league in runs. Yelich and Cain could both hit 25+ homer runs and provide a solid batting average. One thing the club would still be missing is a front line ace pitcher, but they’re going to acquire him from Tampa Bay before the trade deadline this year.
Archer has been a very solid pitcher for his career, although his ERA has historically been a tick higher than a team would want from an ace. Part of the reason his ERA can get a little high is the division he pitches in. Facing the Red Sox, Yankees, Orioles, and Blue Jays these past few years have been no picnic. Still, Archer is under 30 years old and has pitched at least 190 innings the past four seasons. Miller Park isn’t a great spot for pitchers(8th in park factor in 2017) but the switch to the National League and a softer divisional schedule could help out Archer in a big way.
Milwaukee is in it this season and their starting pitching is the weak spot on paper. Tampa has already suffered big blows to their pitching depth with Brent Honeywell and Jose De Leon. It doesn’t appear they can compete in the AL East this year or anytime soon. The Brew Crew can accelerate their timeline by trading Archer to the Brewers this summer.