The harsh reality is that the Mariners cannot afford Chris Archer. The Tampa Bay Rays undoubtedly have multiple partners lined up, most of whom could easily outbid the Mariners. Archer has already been linked to the Twins, who farm system is infinitely better than Seattle’s.
There is no doubt that Archer could help the Mariners. His profile is that of a really good #2 with ace potential. The 29-year-old has thrown 194 innings or more each of the past 4 seasons, including 200+ in each of the past 3 seasons.
Archer has a unique blend of inducing ground balls (45% career rate) and missing bats, boasting a 10.