Pittsburgh Pirates pitchers Chris Archer will be out for the 2020 season after undergoing surgery.
Archer had surgery to relieve symptoms of neurogenic thoracic outlet syndrome on Tuesday. He is expected to be able to play again next year, according to Adam Berry of MLB.com.
The Pirates acquired Archer in 2018 in a trade with the Tampa Bay Rays. He is 6-12 with a 4.92 ERA and a 1.40 WHIP in 33 starts with the Pirates. Archer has struggled with consistency and has had to deal with injuries while he’s been with the Pirates.
Free agent signee Derek Holland is a potential replacement for Archer. Without Archer the Pirates starting rotation will be Trevor Williams, Joe Musgrove, Mitch Keller and Archer’s replacement.
“I would imagine any team in baseball is looking to hoard pitching and not give it away,” Pirates general manager Ben Cherington said. “Our focus is going to be on the guys that are here in the organization now.”
Archer’s salary for this year is $9 million. He has an $11 million option for next year with a $250,000 buyout. It is unknown whether the Pirates will pick up Archer’s option for next year or not. Given Archer’s struggles and injury history, there’s a good chance that they won’t pick up his option for next year.
