Report: Braves looking at Gray, Archer in addition to Sale
The Atlanta Braves are casting a wide net in pursuit of a top-of-the-rotation arm.
Having reportedly shown strong interest in Chicago White Sox left-hander Chris Sale, the Braves are also looking at Oakland Athletics right-hander Sonny Gray and Tampa Bay Rays right-hander Chris Archer, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.
Armed with a strong farm system and eager to open SunTrust Park with a competitive team, the Braves have ambitions of improving their roster this winter.
General manager John Coppolella has already been the most active executive this offseason, inking veteran starters R.A. Dickey and Bartolo Colon, in addition to Josh Collmenter and Jordan Walden.
Gray is coming off the worst season of his four-year career, going 5-11 with a 5.69 ERA and 1.50 WHIP. He was limited to just 117 innings due to a forearm injury. The 27-year-old owns a 3.42 ERA and 1.20 WHIP over 608 career innings and is under control through the 2019 season.
Archer is another well respected starters who's coming off a down year. The 28-year-old went 9-19 with a 4.02 ERA over 201 1/3 innings, but did strike out 233 hitters. He's owed just $14 million over the next three years with a $9-million option for 2020 and an $11-million option in 2021.