MLB trade rumors: Yankees a 'main player' for Rays' Chris Archer?

by Felix Pantaleón

The Yankees and Rays were discussing a deal that could send Chris Archer to the Bronx, according to a report from Fancred’s Jon Heyman.

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With Tuesday’s trade deadline near, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman isn’t quite done dealing.

According to Fancred’s Jon Heyman, the Yankees were among the “main players” for Rays right-hander Chris Archer.

padres, yankees and braves (via @TBTimes_Rays) seen as among the main players for archer. nicely for rays, those are 3 of the top 4 teams in terms of prospects, rival teams see SD as possible favorite fwiw.

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) July 29, 2018

On Saturday, The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal and Jim Bowden reported the Yankees among the teams who were trying for Archer, but that some within the Yankees’ organization weren’t hopeful Tampa Bay would trade Archer within the American League East.

With the Rays likely well out of the postseason race, Archer could be the team’s most valuable trade chip. The 29-year-old is 3-5 with a 4.31 ERA in 17 starts.

Since May 17, he has a 2.70 ERA in eight starts.

Archer won’t be a free agent until 2020.

The Rays and Yankees traded recently. In the offseason, the teams were involved in a three-team deal that sent third baseman Brandon Drury from the Diamondbacks to the Bronx.

Here are some stats going into Sunday’s Yankees-Royals game, via Yankees PR:

THE WALK SHOW: INF Neil Walker has multiple hits in three straight games (7-for-11) after going his first 65G this season without consecutive multi-hit games.

Is batting .415/.458/.585 (17-for-41) with 7R, 4 doubles, 1HR, 10RBI and 5BB in his last 13G (since 7/9-G1 at Baltimore) to raise his season BA by 44 points…has RBI in seven of his last nine games.
Went 2-for-2 vs. left-handed pitchers in Game 2 on Saturday, his first hits off a southpaw since 5/18 at Kansas City…snapped an 0-for-16 stretch.

PICK UP HICKS: CF Aaron Hicks is batting .579 (11-for-19) with 7R, 1 triple, 1HR, 3RBI and 5BB in 6G vs. Kansas City this season…is the third-highest BA by any player vs. any single opponent (min. 15AB), behind Steve Pearce (.667, 10-for-15 vs. KC) and Martin Maldonado (.588, 10-for-17 vs. MIN).

Has collected multiple hits and reached safely at least three times in each of his first 5G vs. KC before going 0-for- 1 with a sac fly in Game 2 on Saturday…matched the longest such single-season streak ever against the Royals.

SO…THAT HAPPENED: LHP J.A. Happ will make his Yankees debut today…the 2018 AL All-Star was acquired from the Toronto Blue Jays on Thursday in exchange for INF Brandon Drury and OF Billy McKinney.

Was 10-6 with a 4.18 ERA (114.0IP, 53ER) in 20 starts for Toronto this season…has a career-best 10.26 K/9.0IP ratio (130K/114.0IP) and is 11th in the AL in strikeouts.
Marks the fourth time in the last nine seasons that Happ has been traded at the July non-waiver trading deadline (2010, ’12, ’15, ’18)…in 34 post-trade games (30 starts) with his new clubs, has compiled a 15-8 record with a 3.28 ERA (175.2IP, 147H, 67R/64ER, 65BB, 176K, 12HR).

Brendan Kuty may be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @BrendanKutyNJ. Find NJ.com Yankees on Facebook.