The Hot-Stove period of the offseason is showing signs of heating up, and Tampa Bay Rays right-hander Chris Archer appears to be in the thick of things once again.
On Friday, Rays’ beat writer for the Tampa Bay Times, Marc Topkin, speculated on the construct of the Opening Day roster, conceding that if they took the field today, they’d have a team with a higher payroll than last season — $75-million, some $5-million less than where they ended the 2017 campaign — yet with less talent.
However, Topkin opined that that’s not likely to be the squad that reports to Port Charlotte next month. Or, at least, when the team heads north to Tropicana Field for the March 29 opener.
Citing the ownership’s request to cut payroll and trying to fill some holes — like adding a true first baseman and some veteran relievers — it’s become glaringly obvious that the front office still has some work to do.
I think our to-do list is comparable to where we were earlier in the winter, general manger Erik Neander told Topkin. There is just less time available to accomplish it.
But that’s, I think, the same for many teams at this point and it just requires us an industry to get more done in a shorter period of time. Spring training is not moving.
That leaves a number of candidates who still could be traded in order to cut payroll for the team, including closer Alex Colome, the recently-acquired Denard Span, Jake Odorizzi, or if you are Jon Morosi (MLB.com) right-hander Chris Archer.
Morosi, while exploring Yu Darvish’s market, reported that Archer could be next:
One possible explanation for the lack of a Darvish deal is the availability of right-handers Chris Archer (Rays) and Michael Fulmer (Tigers) on the trade market. Bill Brink of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported last month that the Yankees had looked at both starting pitchers, and one source confirmed to MLB.com that the Tigers and Yankees have had trade discussions regarding Fulmer.
A separate source said the Rays have remained engaged in consistent trade talks regarding Archer in recent weeks. The Twins are viewed as a possible landing spot for Archer if they don’t sign Darvish. The Cardinals also have spoken with the Rays about Archer, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
If you recall, Archer was connected to the Twins at the end of December, in a deal that would have brought alleged sexual abuser Miguel Sano to Tampa Bay.
#Rays have told the #Twins that the only way they get Chris Archer is if they trade Sano plus a few prospects, will be hard for the Twins to make a deal like that but if they miss out on Darvish, Arrieta etc then this is a very realistic possibility
— Wallace Johnson (@insidesourceguy) December 27, 2017
The sheer fact that Sano is an asshole likely put the kibbutz on those talks.
I digress.
A few days before that report, Ken Rosenthal (Fox Sports, The Athletic) postulated that the trade of Evan Longoria does not indicate the inevitability of trade for Archer, especially since he is under team control and affordable through 2021.
Trade of Longoria indicates #Rays open to anything, but does NOT necessarily mean Archer is next, sources tell The Athletic. Rays, given strength of farm system, not looking at five-year rebuild. Might compete as soon as 2019; Archer under control and affordable through ‘21.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) December 21, 2017
He also would require a heftier return than say Jake Odorizzi.
As it relates to other team’s apparent trepidation in cobbling together a beneficial trade package for someone like Archer, which would put Tampa Bay on the favorable side of a deal, three tacit reminders beg to me mentioned:
- The Pirates mustered Houston’s leftovers in the Gerritt Cole deal.
- NL MVP Giancarlo Stanton was dealt to New York for pennies on the dollar.
- The Rays had to send money alongside Evan Longoria to complete a deal for infielder Christian Arroyo.
As Danny Russell (DRaysBay) suggested, should a trade of Archer come into focus, the recently released Baseball America top-100 indicates the Cardinals — Alex Reyes (17), Jack Flaherty (53), Carson Kelly (55), Tyler O’Neill (86) — have more to bargain with than the Twins — Royce Lewis (24), Brent Rooker (92), Nick Gordon (93), Wander Javier (95), Stephen Gonsalves (97).
Conversely, Baseball America’s Top-100 also shows that a team that has long been interested in Archer, the Chicago Cubs, appears to lack any top prospects to make a deal; the North-Siders did not place a minor league prospect in the Top-100.
Sure, Archer could be traded, and the Rays certainly have the depth to fill his spot in the rotation. Yet the likeliest scenario is that Odorizzi will be dealt before good old number 22.
Baseball America’s Top-100 prospect list released
Baseball America released their annual list of the Top-100 prospects in baseball on Monday, and the Rays have six players in the top 100 — tied with the Brewers, Padres, and Yankees. You can read the list below (in parentheses, the prospect’s overall rank)
Brent Honeywell (14)
Willy Adames (19)
Brendan McKay (39)
Jake Bauers (45)
Jesus Sanchez (49)
Wander Franco (96)
Only the Braves have more at eight.
Now how many we may see in a Rays uniform this season is another question.
Rays 2018 Spring Training broadcast schedule
With the return of baseball just around the corner — pitchers and catchers report to camp on February 13, but who’s keeping track? — the Rays and FoxSportsSun announced their 2018 Spring Training broadcast schedule on Friday.
Tampa Bay will play 33 spring training games over a five week period, and of those 33, six are slated to be televised on FoxSportsSun:
Date: Sunday, February 25, 2018 at 1:05 p.m.
Game: Tampa Bay Rays at Minnesota Twins
Broadcast: Twins broadcast feed/Twins announcers
Date: Sunday, March 4, 2018 at 1:05 p.m.
Game: Tampa Bay Rays at New York Yankees
Broadcast: Yankees broadcast feed/Yankees announcers
Date: Sunday, March 11, 2018 at 1:05 p.m.
Game: Tampa Bay Rays vs. Minnesota Twins
Broadcast: Rays broadcast feed/Rays announcers
Date: Wednesday, March 21, 2018 at 1:05 p.m.
Game: Tampa Bay Rays vs. Boston Red Sox
Broadcast: Rays broadcast feed/Rays announcers
Date: Sunday, March 25, 2018 at 1:05 p.m.
Game: Tampa Bay Rays vs. New York Yankees
Broadcast: Rays broadcast feed/Rays announcers
Date: Monday, March 26, 2018 at 1:05 p.m.
Game: Tampa Bay Rays at Detroit Tigers
Broadcast: Tigers broadcast feed/Tigers announcers