Yankees Trade Rumors: Chris Archer Deal 'Not Likely' Before Deadline

Don’t expect to see Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Chris Archer in pinstripes this season. 

According to Fancred's Jon Heyman, the New York Yankees are "not likely" to acquire the right-handed starter prior to Tuesday’s non-waiver trade deadline. Heyman explained it doesn't make "much sense" for the American League East’s second-place team to trade for him unless it moves Sonny Gray.

Archer has a 4.31 ERA, 1.39 WHIP and 102 strikeouts in 96 innings this season after posting an ERA over 4.00 in each of the last two years. Despite the solid but unspectacular numbers, he is still just 29 years old and finished with a sub-3.50 ERA three straight seasons from 2013 through 2015.

The two-time All-Star would also bring an element of team control that many deadline acquisitions don't, seeing as how he isn’t set to be an unrestricted free agent until 2022, per Spotrac.

While the Yankees are 5.5 games behind the Boston Red Sox in the AL East and a middling 13th in the league in starting pitcher ERA, per ESPN.com, the rotation has stabilized of late thanks to the emergence of Gray. He has allowed just two earned runs in his last 16.1 innings, giving New York a weapon alongside the newly acquired J.A. Happ, Luis Severino, Masahiro Tanaka and CC Sabathia.

With Happ now in the rotation and Gray bouncing back, there is less need for Archer as New York pursues a spot in the postseason.