Looking for starting pitching help, the Los Angeles Dodgers have reportedly targeted Chris Archer.
According to ESPN’s Jayson Stark, those close to the situation think it’s more likely than not that the Tampa Bay Rays star will end up in Los Angeles.
Exec from team that's been talking with the Rays says he sees such a good fit with Dodgers, places odds at "70 pct" Chris Archer lands in LA
— Jayson Stark (@jaysonst) July 21, 2016
The Dodgers and Rays are perfect trade partners. Los Angeles is buying, Tampa is selling. Additionally, Andrew Friedman was hired by the Dodgers from Tampa, so there’s a natural connection between the two front offices.
A trade between the two teams would make perfect sense. A trade centered around Archer, however, would not.
Archer will be 28 in September. He’s also signed through 2019 with very reasonable $8.25 million club options in 2020 and 2021. So while the Rays are going nowhere in 2016, Archer can certainly be a part of a the rebuilding project in Tampa.
Young players on long-term team-friendly deals aren’t typically trade bait, especially if the seller is a small-market team.
Now, on paper, that would all be appealing for the Dodgers and could bring Tampa a bigger trade haul.
The problem is that Archer is in the midst of a terrible season.
He sports a 5-13 record with a 4.60 ERA, 1.40 WHIP and a 4.14 FIP.
To land Archer, the Dodgers would likely need to deal some top prospects from their strong farm system. Would a buyer consider doing that for a player who may not help them much in the short term? That’s the largest question here.
Of course, Archer’s 2016 performance might decrease his value, enabling Los Angeles to get him on the cheap. Then again, Tampa Bay has no real reason to move him for pennies on the dollar.
Unless the Dodgers — currently without Clayton Kershaw — decide to pay a bounty here, we see no real reason for the Rays to move Archer.