Shane Baz traded to Tampa to complete Chris Archer deal

MLB: Chicago Cubs at Pittsburgh Pirates

When he made the deal to acquire starting pitcher Chris Archer, Pittsburgh Pirates general manager Neal Huntington indicated that the player to be named later would be a significant one.

That turned out to be exactly the case when on Tuesday it was announced that former first-round pick Shane Baz, would be heading to Tampa to complete the deal.

Baz is ranked as the Pirates No. 4 prospect.

Jeff Passan of Yahoo was one of the first to break the news.

Baz, the Bucs 2017 first-round pick, is coming off a good week in which he was named the Appalachian League Pitcher of the Week.

On the season Baz is 4-3 with a 3.97 ERA and a 1.50 WHIP in 10 starts.

Throughout his brief minor-league career, Baz has compiled a 3.91 ERA in 69 innings of work, striking out 73 while walking 37.

Tampa’s return for Archer was impressive in Baz, Tyler Glasnow and Austin Meadows, but I don’t have much of an issue with it.

Glasnow has looked great in a couple of starts with the Rays and Meadows is hitting well for the Durham Bulls, Tampa’s Triple-A affiliate.

But they are three pieces that Huntington could afford to move and if Archer becomes a solid one or two at the top of the Pirates rotation for the next few years then it’s worth the gamble.

Arrow to top