Former 2x All-Star pitcher Chris Archer joins LA Dodgers as special assistant

Chris Archer is the latest former MLB talent hired by the LA Dodgers to help them in baseball operations off the field.

Former 2x All-Star pitcher Chris Archer joins LA Dodgers as special assistant

Chris Archer (Pic Credit: AP)

As the eyes of the MLB fans turn towards the Winter Meetings, there have been some developments that have surprised many. One of these has been the move of former two-time All-Star pitcher Chris Archer, who has now joined the Los Angeles Dodgers as their special assistant.

The 35-year-old has been out of baseball action since 2022. He though has not retired from the sport. The Ex-Tampa Bay Rays southpaw will now work within the Dodgers front office and see off baseball operations.

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In 2022, Archer would appear for the Minnesota Twins and spend one season with them. Despite being named as an All-star twice in his career, the American pitcher was unable to perform with consistency. This along with his age turned out to be a reason, the Twins declined him an option in 2023. The pitcher though is not dissatisfied and is looking forward to this new role.

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It's giving me an opportunity to learn and help some younger players, too. Player development, scouting, analytics, roster construction, draft, trade... everything I can possibly learn from that perspective so that I can make a decision whether I want to go the player development or front office route.
Chris Archer on special assistant role through Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

How did Chris Archer do in his MLB career?

If one goes by the stats of Chris Archer, they would probably feel he could not make it. In the realm of baseball, several players like Archer have come by. Many of them failed to reach their full potential while some never made it out of the minor leagues. Archer though made it out of the draft and went on to spend 10 seasons in the major league.

He was drafted as a fifth-round pick in the 2006 draft by the Cleveland Indians (now Guardians). It though would take six years from there on for Archer to make it in the big league. His professional debut came in 2012 when he was traded to the Tampa Bay Rays.

Chris Archer (Pic Credit: Sportsnet)

He would spend six seasons with the Rays and established himself as a regular starter for the team. In this time span, he would be named as an All-Star twice in 2015 and then in 2017. In August 201, he picked up his 1,000th career strikeout. He would leave the team in 2018 for the Pittsburgh Pirates and return for a second stint in 2021.

As of 2023, his career stats read a poor record in terms of wins/losses. He is currently 63-89 with 1,454 strikeouts and an ERA of 3.93. With him joining this new special assistant role, it is likely that he may officially announce his retirement from playing and focus on behind-the-scenes roles in the future.

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