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MLB Trade Rumors: Rays getting significant interest in Chris Archer

By Brad Berreman

SEATTLE, WA - JUNE 02: Chris Archer #22 of the Tampa Bay Rays pitches against the Seattle Mariners in the first innng during their game at Safeco Field on June 2, 2018 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images)
SEATTLE, WA - JUNE 02: Chris Archer #22 of the Tampa Bay Rays pitches against the Seattle Mariners in the first innng during their game at Safeco Field on June 2, 2018 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images) /
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The Tampa Bay Rays are lingering around .500, but as they move into sell-mode Chris Archer is garnering interest.

Even with a loss to the Miami Marlins on Saturday, the Tampa Bay Rays are surprisingly right at .500 (49-49). But at 19 games back in the AL East, and 10 games back of the second Wild Card spot, it’s clear they are a trade deadline seller. According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic and Fox Sports, Chris Archer is drawing significant interest.

Archer is scheduled to make his next start on Sunday against the Marlins. Through 15 starts (84 innings) thus far, with an abdominal strain landing him on the DL for a little over a month, he has a 4.29 ERA, a 1.38 WHIP, a 9.2 K/9 rate and 3.1 BB/9 rate. In two starts since coming off the disabled list, Archer has allowed four earned runs with 10 strikeouts and three walks over a total of 7.2 innings.

The Rays would surely like to see Archer pitch well in his next start or two heading toward the deadline, but he still carries great value as a trade chip. He is under team control through 2021, and he’s due to make a total of $27.7 million from 2019-2021. There are club options in 2020 ($9 million; $1.75 million buyout) and 2021 ($11 million; $250,000 buyout). Talk about a team-friendly deal.

Archer’s ERA has crept above 4.00 over the last two-plus seasons, and a drop in strikeout rate so far this season has been noteworthy (11.1 K/9 in 2017). A fourth straight season of 200-plus innings is not in the cards this year and a fifth straight campaign with at least 32 starts is not happening, but Archer has been as reliable as it gets in recent years.

Archer was candid recently, pointing to his looming 30th birthday (Sept. 26) and a desire to win.

“I turn 30 in a couple months,” “I want to play the game for 10 more years, but there’s nothing guaranteed in life. I want to experience winning.”

Next: Top 5 trade deadline targets for the Boston Red Sox

Teams with interest in Archer will surely have scouts on-hand at Tropicana Field on Sunday. If he pitches well, the Rays could quickly collect a bounty of prospects in a weak market for pitching.

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