As expected, the Pirates have declined Chris Archer’s $11M option for 2021. They’ll pay a $250K buyout instead.
The move closes the books on the Pirates’ end of what will probably be regarded as one of the worst trades in team history. In exchange for three high-ceiling young players, former GM Neal Huntington got a 6-12 record and 4.92 ERA in 172 innings. Archer contributed 1.5 fWAR to the Pirates, or 6.2 less than Tampa Bay has gotten so far from Tyler Glasnow and Austin Meadows.
