Chris Archer
The Major League Baseball career of Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Chris Archer has been an interesting one. Archer was selected in the fifth round of the 2006 MLB Draft by Cleveland Indians. And after three years in the Indians minor league system, Archer was traded to the Chicago Cubs in 2008. Archer was working his way up in the Cubs system until he was put on their 40-man roster in 2011 to avoid being made eligible for the Rule 5 Draft. But not long after that, Archer was traded to the Rays. And unlike the Indians and Cubs, the Rays have committed to Archer.
In 2012, Archer made his MLB debut as he would go 1-3 with a 4.60 earned run average in six starts. In 2013, Archer would finish third in the American League Rookie of the Year voting as he went 9-7 with a 3.23 earned run average to help the Rays make the playoffs. And when the Rays traded starting pitcher David Price to the Detroit Tigers last year, it gave Archer the opportunity to shine as a frontline starter.
This season with the Rays, Archer is 11-9 with a 2.77 earned run average. Archer has struck out 205 batters so far this year which is a big reason why he was named to his first MLB All-Star team last month.
And as far as the strikeouts go, Archer has had eight games this year in which he has struck out at least 10 batters. On June 2, Archer went 8 innings as he struck out 15 batters in a 6-1 victory over the Los Angeles Angels. This past Thursday night, Archer threw the third complete game of his career and his first since 2013 as he only allowed one hit against the Houston Astros. And the amazing thing about Archer’s outing versus the Astros was that he only needed 98 pitches to throw the complete game.
It’s no secret that the Rays play in one of the smaller markets in Major League Baseball as only the Miami Marlins have a lower payroll than Tampa Bay this year. And whereas players know that they won’t be able to secure that lucrative deal with Tampa, their time with the Rays is a chance for them to showcase their talent which could potentially lead to a better contract with a team that plays in a bigger market.
Archer falls into that category, but unlike former Rays players who have gone on to get those big deals through free agency, it might not be as easy for Archer. Archer isn’t scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent until 2022 when he’ll be 33-years old which means that Tampa Bay will control the majority of his Major League Baseball and at that age, it will be tougher for him to secure a lucrative deal on the open market. But in the present day, the Rays have a stud in Archer who has an electric fastball that is good for Tampa Bay and MLB as a whole. Aside from becoming a solid starting pitcher, Archer has become an ambassador for the Boys and Girls Clubs of America as his commercial with the organization has been plastered on television this year during national games and on the bigger networks such as ESPN and the MLB Network. And although the Rays play the underdog role to a tee, they have a pitcher in Archer that can take the mound on every fifth day and put fear into opposing lineups.
Source: Baseball-reference.com
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