Along with the Los Angeles Dodgers working to maintain a competitive roster and talent throughout their farm system, maintaining an expansive front office has also been a goal under president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman.
Over the years that’s amounted to the Dodgers hiring several former executives who once oversaw their own front office, and many of whom have since been selected for a president of baseball operations or general manager role once again.
During Friedman’s tenure the Dodgers have also hired Adrián González to work as a special assistant in addition to being a SportsNet LA broadcaster, and the team recently brought Nelson Cruz on board in an advisor capacity for Latin America.
According to Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Chris Archer is the latest former MLB player to join the Dodgers front office and he’s expected to have plenty of flexibility in the role as he evaluates a future career in baseball:
“It’s giving me an opportunity to learn and help some younger players, too,” Archer told the Post-Gazette. “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.”
Archer did not pitch this past season and last was in the Majors in 2022, when he made 25 starts for the Minnesota Twins. They declined a mutual option for 2023, and Archer did not sign with a team upon becoming a free agent.
The right-hander had not officially retired, but becoming part of the Dodgers baseball operations department seemingly signals an end to his playing career.
Archer joining the Dodgers front office reunites him with Friedman, as the two previously were part of the Tampa Bay Rays together. Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes also was a teammate of Archer’s on the Rays.
Chris Archer career stats
Archer pitched for the Rays (2012-2018, 2021), Pittsburgh Pirates (2018-2019) and Twins (2022) during his career. He went a combined 63-89 with a 3.93 ERA and 1.26 WHIP over 243 games (240 starts) over 10 seasons at the big league level.
The Dodgers were linked to Archer at the 2018 MLB trade deadline, when the Rays ultimately sent him to the Pirates.
More must-reads: