One of the guys connected to the Braves for a large part of their rebuild was Chris Archer. He was eventually dealt to the Pirates with the Rays absolutely robbing Pittsburgh, as Archer never really lived up to his end of the bargain.
Now, he sits in free agency after a so-so 2022 campaign with the Minnesota Twins. The Braves dodged a bullet not trading the farm for Archer, but it might be the time to get him in the mix following injuries to Max Fried and Kyle Wright, who are expected to miss multiple months. Alex Anthopoulos has already said that a trade is unlikely, so a free agent or cash acquisition may be the only options for Atlanta right now.
Archer posted a 2-8 record with a 4.56 ERA for Minnesota in 2022, not exactly lighting the world on fire. However, he gave Minnesota 102.2 innings, which is somewhat respectable. The Twins declined the option on the two-time All Star, and he hasn’t signed a contract since. For the price and availability, the Braves could do much worse.
Archer isn’t the pitcher he once was, but he’s likely available for pennies, and at this point, the Braves just need some arms with major-league experience that can eat innings. The bullpen can’t keep up at this rate, or they’ll run the risk of being gassed come playoff time. If he can give the Braves five or six innings a night and hold the opposing team to four runs, their offense can do enough to win games and give their bullpen some rest.
I think Archer is a very realistic option, and the Braves have to be considering him after the injuries to Kyle Wright and Max Fried.
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Photographer: John McCoy/Icon Sportswire
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