MLB trade rumors: Yankees scouting Rays’ Chris Archer? New NL contender in the mix?

by Felix Pantaleón

The Yankees reportedly watched Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Chris Archer dominate the Miami Marlins on Sunday, July 22, 2018 (7/2218) as the MLB trade deadline approaches on July 31, 2018 (7/31/18). Archer struck out 13 Marlins in just six innings as the Rays won, 6-4.

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UPDATE: Another team in the mix for Chris Archer:

#Brewers continue to cast wide net in search for upgrades, sources tell me and @ByRobertMurray. They are among the teams pursuing #Orioles‘ Britton and also considering #Rays‘ Archer. Had extensive discussions with #Orioles on Machado; know which prospects O’s like.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) July 23, 2018

The Yankees appear to be eyeing Rays starting pitcher Chris Archer.

They had a scout in attendance for Archer’s dominant start against at Tropicana Field on Sunday, according to a report from MLB.com’s Bill Chastain. Archer struck out 13 and walked none while surrendering three runs in six innings against the Marlins.

From the report:

At least a dozen scouts were parked behind home plate to watch Archer on Sunday, including representatives from contenders such as the D-backs, Dodgers, Braves, Indians and Yankees. Of that group, the Yankees are said to be in on Archer, or perhaps Nathan Eovaldi, who once pitched for the Yankees. Helping to fuel that speculation was the fact that Rays representatives have been spotted at recent Yankees rookie league games.

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Archer, 29, has a 4.30 ERA and a 3-4 record in 16 starts.

A two-time All-Star, Archer was once thought to be a budding ace. From 2013 to 2016, Archer posted a 3.47 ERA. Last year, he took a step backward, going 10-12 with a 4.07 ERA in 34 starts. This year, he’s striking out less batters (9.2 K/9) than his career average (9.7 K/9) and walking slightly more (3.1 BB/9) than his career mark (3.0 BB/9).

It’s no secret: The Yankees are seeking starting pitching help. Behind Luis Severino, Yankees starters have question marks regarding health (CC Sabathia, Masahiro Tanaka) and performance (Sonny Gray, Domingo German, Luis Cessa).

They have been connected to a number of potential targets, including the Rangers’ Cole Hamels, the Tigers Michael Fulmer and the Blue Jay’s J.A. Happ.

Brendan Kuty may be reached at bkuty@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @BrendanKutyNJ. Find NJ.com Yankees on Facebook.