Report: Rays shopping every starting pitcher except Archer
Pitching has long been a strength of the Tampa Bay Rays, and their depth could make them sellers at next week's winter meetings.
The Rays will listen to trade offers for all of their starting pitchers except Chris Archer, according to ESPN's Jayson Stark.
That means Jake Odorizzi, Drew Smyly, Erasmo Ramirez, and Matt Moore are all on the trade block. Moore is the only pitcher not under team control for a considerable amount of time, which means Tampa may shop him more aggressively.
2015 STATS
| PLAYER | IP | ERA | WHIP | SO9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jake Odorizzi | 169.1 | 3.35 | 1.15 | 8 |
| Drew Smyly | 66.2 | 3.11 | 1.17 | 10.4 |
| Erasmo Ramirez | 163.1 | 3.75 | 1.13 | 6.9 |
| Matt Moore | 63 | 5.43 | 1.54 | 6.6 |
Right-hander Alex Cobb, who is rehabbing from Tommy John surgery and may not pitch until the second half of 2016, is also an option to be dealt.
Archer, who earned his first All-Star nod in 2015, is the undisputed ace of the staff after compiling a 12-13 record with 3.23 ERA and 1.13 WHIP with 252 strikeouts in 34 outings. He's under contract through the 2019 season, and the team holds two options that could keep him in Tampa until the fall of 2021.
The Rays always operate on a shoestring budget due to their low revenue, and the trade market for starting pitchers is sure to heat up with some of the big names, such as David Price, Zack Greinke, Jeff Samardzija, and Jordan Zimmermann, already signing with clubs.