Report: Archer not guaranteed to be traded despite Longoria deal
The Tampa Bay Rays' trade of Evan Longoria on Wednesday doesn't necessarily mean the rest of the roster will be blown up this winter.
While the club has been listening to offers on a number of veterans, Chris Archer is not guaranteed to be traded, sources told Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.
Archer has spent his entire six-year career in Tampa Bay, and is under team control through the next four seasons. He is owed a guaranteed $16 million over the next two years, and can earn as much as $34 million should both team options be exercised in 2020 and 2021. The affordability of Archer's contract makes him an attractive piece to hold onto, as the Rays expect to be competitive in the near future once some of their top prospects reach the major-league level.
The 29-year-old Archer is coming off back-to-back 200-plus-inning seasons, posting a 4.05 ERA and 1.25 WHIP over that time.
Should the Rays choose not to deal Archer, the club could still look at trading fellow starter Jake Odorizzi and closer Alex Colome.