The Rays believe there are roughly eight teams with strong enough farm systems to put together a package for right-hander Chris Archer in advance of the Aug. 1 non-waiver trade deadline, reports FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal (video link). One of those clubs, the Pirates, would have to move both righty Tyler Glasnow and outfield prospect Austin Meadows to acquire Archer. Glasnow, who’s currently in the midst of his second major league start, is sixth on Baseball America’s Midseason Top 100, while Meadows is 10th. Tampa Bay’s asking price is quite high, then, but Rosenthal notes that Archer has an eminently team-friendly contract through 2021. The soon-to-be 28-year-old has struggled to prevent runs this season and has seen both his walk and home run rates increase significantly, but he was a top-of-the-rotation option over 535 1/3 innings from 2013-15.
More deadline-related buzz from Rosenthal:
- The remainder of the Royals’ current homestand (five games) will determine their course entering the deadline. At 48-47, the reigning World Series champions are eight games behind AL Central-leading Cleveland and five out of a Wild Card spot. Should they end up selling, free agents-to-be Edinson Volquez, Luke Hochevar and Kendrys Morales are all candidates to change uniforms. So is closer Wade Davis, whose contract expires after next season and whose demand around the league will only rise if the Yankees retain their late-inning relief aces. FanRag Sports’ Jon Heyman reported earlier Saturday that Washington is among the teams interested in Davis.
- Nationals right-handed pitching prospect Erick Fedde could headline a package for Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman, and Rosenthal says landing the 23-year-old would be “a coup” for a team that covets young starters. Fedde, the 18th overall pick in the 2014 draft, is BA’s 61st-ranked prospect and has put up a 0.69 ERA in his last eight starts at the High-A level, per Rosenthal.
- The thinness of the pitching market means it would make sense for the rebuilding Reds to listen to offers for righty Anthony DeSclafani, according to Rosenthal, who adds that the timing might not be right for Cincinnati to deal him. Given that DeSclafani is under club control through the end of the 2020 season, the Reds could build around him or keep him for now and hope his trade value continues increasing. The 26-year-old has been stellar this season, notching a 2.50 ERA, 7.15 K/9 and 1.61 BB/9 in 50 1/3 innings.
In my opinion the Reds shouldn’t be trading DeSclafani at all.
The Yankees only had to give up Rookie Davis, Eric Jagielo and a couple guys whose names I don’t even remember for a year of Chapman and a draft pick. So why would the Nats have to give up Erick Fedde (a much better prospect than either of Davis or Jagielo) among other things for two months of Chapman and no draft pick?
…because Chapman is going to dramatically influence some team’s chances to make the World Series.
Because that’s what you do when you have a legit shot to win a title.
No it’s not. You don’t see the Cubs offering Schwarber for Chapman. I get that you have to give value to get value but it has to be in proportion.
I don’t even understand the huge hype on Schwarber. He was good not great for half a year plus he can not hit lefties or play the field. Give me a young potential #1-#2 starter any day
I agree Dan. Schwarber will be a player without a position. Where do you play him? LF-NO, 1b-NO, rf-NO, C-NO. I think this preoccupation with making foolish “‘DH”” acquisitions is crazy. The last thing we need is a guy who can’t field and hits .246
I hate when people say trade your farm for a shot at a title.
First of all. Making a trade doesn’t garentee your gonna win a title. And most teams don’t win it. When they make a trade.
Second your gonna give up years of you contending for mutible titles for a chance at one?
That just doesn’t make any sense. A chance at one title. Isn’t worth years of contention.
If you have the foundation already set on your team. You stay put and keep trying to add to it from your farm and free agency. But you at no time sacrifice years of having prospects for cheap and years of contention. For a chance at 1 title that’s not even a sure thing.
A title is never a sure thing, but prospects also are not. There are no sure things in baseball period. Though you seem to imply that years of contention are assured if you hold onto your prospects. Sometimes it makes sense to go for it, sometimes it makes sense to hold onto your assets. Being a good GM is about making the right moves at the right times.
That’s because when the Yankees traded for him due to the domestic violence suspension. There was no number on whether it would have been a few games or a few months. So the Reds took whatever deal they could get just to get him off the team.
It’s the same thing as anything with business. It’s supply and demand. When you have two of the best relievers and you’re coming up on the stretch run towards postseason contention you’re going to have to pay for it. Teams don’t have to pay, but the Yankees do not have to take less for him simply because they paid a lighter cost.
Very well said
The Yankees made the trade at a time when Chapman was “untouchable” considering one team already backed out of a trade for him. He carried the uncertainty of a suspension, and the Yankees got a discount for assuming that risk. Chapman has served his suspension and seemingly closed that chapter of his life/career and has been his usual self on-field since. Teams overpay at the trade deadline compared to the offseason, so it becomes a matter of how much do the Nats think an arm like Chapman’s will be worth to them in October.
The Cubs gave up Steve Clevenger and Scott Feldman for 5-6 years of Jake Arrieta and a few years of Pedro Strop. Should the Cubs want to trade them, would you expect a backup catcher and backend starter to be the return package?
Hahahaha that’s a completely different situation and you know it. Arrieta was a bust for the Orioles and then turned into one of the best pitchers in the game with the Cubs. Chapman was already good with the Reds and has been about equally as good with the Yankees. His value is lower than it was in the offseason.
It’s not lower because he had baggage in the offseason. I guess technically he still does but no one knows how long he’d be suspended for which is why the Yankees got him cheap. It doesn’t mean another team should get him cheaply too.
Nope, one year of Chapman and a draft pick is worth more than two months of Chapman and no draft pick. You are the weakest link, goodbye!
The baggage was part, and you almost always have to overpay in July because a trade is essentially the only way you can get a player of value mid-season. Sellers know that and can ask for higher prices. The bidding war for guys like Chapman also drives up the price. Trade value isn’t static, especially from offseason to mid-season.
Chapman is not worth 2 months while giving up Giolito or Turner
Fedde is good, but does come with considerable TJ risk. Not sure if he’s exactly a “coup” (I’d think Robles or Turner would better represent that terminology, assuming Giolito is untouchable) but would be a solid piece for a rental like Chapman. Would be interesting to see if a team like the Cubs or Rangers could top that valuation of Chapman.
Archer + Pearce for Glasnow + Meadows?
You’d have to think the Rays would seriously consider something like that.
I don’t think the Pirates would do that. First of all they don’t need Pearce second I can’t see them parting with their top 2 prospects for Archer and nothing in their past suggests they would.
Besides SP, what else do the Pirates need? It seems like every position is covered well except maybe 1B but a Jaso/Freese platoon is not bad at all
Is glasnow really worth Archer?
I agree with you there. I don’t think the Pirates would give up Meadows and Gladnow both for him. Glasnow for Archer would an upgrade in my opinion. A well established pitcher in place of a guy with “potential” as the small market teams always say. I’d offer up Glasnow and some other prospects and see if there’s a counter offer. Don’t give up a CF that’s almost major league ready when your “MVP” is batting a killer .240 all season lol.
I’d rather have the draft pick then Fedde. The guy is 23 and still in single A
I’d gladly take one of the Nats top prospects in a year where we’re not going to compete for someone that’s about to hit the market. It’s sad, but I’m hoping that the Yanks continue to lose so that they’ll sell more. They have a 2% chance to make the playoffs, but I’m sure another win or two and they’ll keep everyone (because that’s the ignorant direction decision that they’ve made for the past three terrible seasons).
Drafted 2 years ago. Teams tend to “hide” or stash better prospects at lower levels early on.
Fedde for Chapman, where do i sign. done
If you actually look, it’s says headlined by Fedde, so it would be more than him.
well, headlined or not. i am in. Feede can go.
I think I would trade Glasnow and meadows for archer if I’m pirates. archer is cheap and controllable until 2021, which is super valuable for a small market team like the Pirates. they already have a good outfield, and adding archer would be a huge move for them
Only thing is, if and when they decide they cannot extend Cutch, Meadows is their cheap replacement.
The way McCutchen is playing he won’t be getting a extension.
or he will at a super cheap price with incentives.. which would be nice…. but not very likely.
Would like to see Boston land Archer I think he would be a good fit there and do well.
Archer to the Sox for prospects. They will have a good mix between lefties and righties then. Price, Porcello, Pomeranz, Archer, and Wright.
No way the Rays trade archer inside their division.
I think it’s safe to say Archer won’t be a Pirate anytime soon then
Anyone think Archer would be a fit for Boston?
I don’t think the red sox would trade their best prospects to a division rival for Archer
Can someone tell me why Archer is struggling this year
I’ve only seen him pitch a few times this year but the main thing I noticed was he struggled to control the location of his pitches.
Yep. And it seems to be early in games. I’ve seen him a few times and he really struggled through the first couple innings. Then he settled down and cruised the next few innings.
Ya his K rate is comparable to last year. His walks are up, but they aren’t that big of an issue. He’s allowed a ton of HRs. If you assume his HR/FB regresses towards league average he has a 3.57 xFIP which is 18th best in MLB and 6th best in AL. HR rates are pretty fluky year to year and he has allowed them, so it shouldn’t be totally dismissed. But everything else is in line with what he’s done throughout his career. His command is likely to not be what it was last year in the future, but it doesn’t need to be for him to still be a really good pitcher with an extremely friendly contract.
One of the main reasons Archer’s HR rate is up substantially this year is because he’s not been pitching inside like he has in the past. For most of this season, hitters have been able to crowd the plate and reach everything Archer puts up there., including the slider and going the other way.
The last couple of starts, he has started to pitch inside, and it’s helping. FIrst game back after the all star break was against Baltimore, and Archer’s first pitch of the game to Adam Jones was high and inside.. He needs to do more of that early.
Everything everyone here said about Archer’s first inning troubles is correct. His ERA for inning 1 is 9.00 (21 ER in 21 inn). ERA for innings 1-3 is 5.57 and it’s 3..15 for innings 4-6.
He’s had major command issues this season early in games. And his pitch count is often at 100 by the 5th inning, which doesn’t help.
So Chris Sale gets scratched due to trade rumors. I wonder if a team will sell the farm for him
I read it wasn’t because of a pending/possible trade, but some type of altercation in the clubhouse.
No way the Pirates give up both Glasnow and Meadows. They would trade cutch before dealing those 2.
So … to get this straight it takes the 6 and 10th ranked prospect in all of baseball to get Chris archer????? But the 61st ranked to get Chapman? I’d rather have Chapman for one of those prospects.
Maybe the pirates should get Sale. No way Archer for those 2 though absolutely no way
It’s 5 years and a couple months of Archer versus a couple months of Chapman. I don’t think it would end up taking both to get Archer if a deal was finalized, but I think it’s definitely where the discussions would start.
I don’t think it’s a discussion the Pirates even have. If they want Archer I would offer up Meadows since you have your OF set and work from there. I just don’t see the Pirates doing it.
I agree but they won`t do it.
Lopez & Fedde for Chapman. seems like a fair deal.
seems that they’re just putting an crazy high tag on archer.. see of someone bites.. closer to the dead line if no one bites they’ll lower the price if they really want to get rid of him.
The idea that the Pirates would even consider giving up Glasnow and Meadows for Archer right now is the most udderly ridiculous thing I have ever read. The way Archer is pitching right now I would give up either of those two prospects much less both. Tampa Bay, please go find some other team you think are as delusional as you apparently are right now…
Agree no way they are trading for Archer if that is what they are expected to give up. I wouldn’t give either of them straight up, let alone both. I agree Chris Sale is the only option I would consider in such a bold move, but I still wouldn’t do both. I’d consider Glasnow & Cutch (because they aren’t going to resign him anyway), I’d thrown in a next-tier position-prospect like Diaz, but I’d make them take Neise also.