3 Players Who May Have Played Their Last Game with the Pittsburgh Pirates

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MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN – SEPTEMBER 21: Chris Archer #24 of the Pittsburgh Pirates looks on before the game against the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park on September 21, 2019 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images)
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN – SEPTEMBER 21: Chris Archer #24 of the Pittsburgh Pirates looks on before the game against the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park on September 21, 2019 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images)

Starting pitcher Chris Archer

The Pittsburgh Pirates have made many bad trades in franchise history. The aforementioned Archer trade in July 2018 has quickly become one of these trades. The crazy part is, at the time the trade rejuvenated the fan base and many fans were in love with it. But that’s a discussion of its own.

Archer is set to hit free agency following the 2021 season. Right now, his trade value is not overly high due to him struggling since coming to Pittsburgh. That said, the Pirates would almost assuredly look to trade him in the off-season if the 2020 season is canceled.

At that point the team will be looking to get any value whatsoever in return for Archer. They could wait until the 2021 trade deadline after giving Archer an opportunity to re-establish some trade value. However, that could be a risk. What if Archer continues to pitch poorly and totally destroys any trade value he has at all?

Like Bell, it is no guarantee Archer is traded if the 2020 season is canceled. The odds of him being traded, however, are higher than Bell’s. Archer is multiple time All-Star, he still strikes a lot of batters out, and he was a victim of the out dated pitching philosophy of the old Pirate regime. There are undoubtedly teams in baseball that believe they can fix Archer.

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