Report: Braves have spoken to Rays about Archer

The Atlanta Braves are in dire need of starting pitching.

So it comes as no surprise that the club has spoken to the Tampa Bay Rays regarding right-hander Chris Archer, sources told Jon Morosi of FOX Sports, along with other "controllable starters."

"On our hierarchy of needs, at the apex of the pyramid is starting pitching," general manager John Coppolella told David O'Brien of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "We need starting pitching. That's something we need. Improved catching is a want. You can't always get what you want, but if you try sometimes you get what you need."

Coppolela added that the organization, which finished with one of baseball's worst records, will also seek catching, though it's not the main priority.

"That’s kind of where we're at - starting pitching’s going to be our focus," he said. "If there is a good deal for a catcher that makes sense, that's something that we'll have to at least look at."

It's unclear how deep discussions have gone, though if Archer was ever going to come cheap, now would be the time.

A year after earning his first All-Star nod, his fourth full season in the majors was a disaster. Archer went 9-19 with a 4.02 ERA in 201 1/3 innings of work.

Archer is halfway through a six-year, $25.5-million deal with a club option for 2020-21. He'll cash in for just north of $4.9 million in 2017 before his pay jumps to $6.4 million in 2018 and $7.6 million in 2019.