Chris Archer may be in the midst of the worst season of his career, but that doesn't mean the Tampa Bay Rays are just going to give away the right-hander to interested clubs.
Tampa Bay has told clubs Archer isn't available unless somebody totally overwhelms them with an offer, reports ESPN's Buster Olney.
The 27-year-old was being scouted by a number of teams, including the Los Angeles Dodgers, during a start Friday against the Baltimore Orioles, where he allowed four earned runs on seven hits in a loss - his 13th of the season.
Archer is attached to an appealing contract for teams through 2020. He'll earn $2.9 million in 2016, $4.9 million in 2017, $6.4 million in 2019, and $7.6 million in 2020. The right-hander also has team options for $9 million in 2020 and $11 million in 2021.
After going 12-13 with a 3.23 ERA while striking out 252 hitters in 212 innings of work last season, Archer has struggled to a 4-13 mark as opposing hitters have raised their average 35 points against the slider specialist.
