ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Chris Archer has done all right for a guy who was cut from his seventh grade team and once told by a coach he would never be good enough to pitch in college, let alone the major leagues. The 25-year-old right-hander not only has a promising future with the Tampa Bay Rays, he will be paid well while trying to reach his potential. "Not making teams, being told I was never going to play college baseball, getting traded twice, and now Im sitting here in this seat where not many people ever get," Archer said Wednesday after finalizing a $25.5 million, six-year contract, the latest long-term deal the Rays have given to one of their young pitchers. "Having the ability to make my parents debt-free is huge for me right now. And just the willingness from the Rays to offer such a contract for somebody with under a year of service time is remarkable," Archer added. "It was definitely something I couldnt say no to. It was a smooth, easy process." The contract includes club options for 2020 and 2021 that could raise the value to $43.75 million. Archer went 9-7 with a 3.22 ERA in 23 starts as a rookie in 2013. Hes scheduled to make his first start of the season Thursday against Toronto. "Its a contract, and its guaranteed money, but I think its just the beginning of six or eight great years," Archer said. Tampa Bay has one of the deepest pitching rotations in baseball, as well as a history of signing its best young players to long-term contract early in their careers. Left-hander Matt Moore, a 17-game winner a year ago, signed a $14 million, five-year deal after making just one regular-season start in the majors. Archer gets a $1 million signing bonus and salaries of $500,000 this year, $1 million in 2015, $2.75 million in 2016, $4.75 million in 2017, $6.25 million in 2018 and $7.5 million in 2019. The Rays have a $9 million option for 2020 with a $1.75 million buyout, and if that option is exercised they have an $11 million option for 2021 with a $250,000 buyout. Rays executive vice-president Andrew Friedman said Archer has the talent to "develop into a top-of-the-rotation starter," as well as the work ethic and character off the field to ensure the Rays are making a good investment. "Its not only important to identify the talent of the player, but also who they are," Friedman said. "As much as were betting on his talent, were betting on who he is, as well." Archer was obtained from the Cubs as part of an eight-player trade that sent Matt Garza to Chicago in 2011. The new deal replaces a one-year contract agreed to in February that called for Archer to make $511,200 in the major leagues and $214,222 in the minors. The native of Clayton, N.C., was promoted from Triple-A Durham last June 1 and went on to lead AL rookies making a minimum of 20 starts in ERA, opponents batting average (.226), complete games (two), shutouts (two). He finished third in balloting for AL Rookie of the Year behind Rays outfielder Wil Myers and Detroit shortstop Jose Iglesias. Talks on the new deal began during spring training. Archer said he consulted with a number of people during the process, including some players whove signed long-term deals early in their career and some who turned it down. "What came from it is never turn your back on your first fortune," said Archer, adding that he feels blessed to be in a position to make sure his parents become debt-free. "At the end of the contract, theres still room to sign another deal or extension or whatever it might be. From where I come from, this is more than I can ever ask for, to be honest." Archer thanked the Rays for trading for him after other organizations gave up on developing him. He was drafted by the Cleveland Indians in 2006 and traded to the Cubs in December 2008. "It seems like this was the first team that Ive ever really played for that really believed in me and was willing to wait an extra year or two for me to really turn into what I could possibly be," Archer said. Fake Athletics Jerseys . Four years after winning gold on home ice in Vancouver, the Canadians will get a chance to make it two in a row Sunday against Sweden after beating the United States 1-0 in the Olympic semifinals Friday at Bolshoy Ice Dome. Oakland Athletics Pro Shop .com)LeBron clearly likes his Italian sports cars, and thats ok with me, so up next up is the 458 Spider. https://www.cheapathleticsonline.com/115...-athletics.html. Today, he looks at the offensive line. 1. Laurent Duvernay-Tardif (OT, McGill) You Should Know: Over the course of his university career, Duvernay-Tardifs commitments to medical school and the family business frequently limited him to one practice per week, yet he was still the Metras Trophy winner as the Top Lineman in CIS football in 2013. Athletics Jerseys 2020 . With the results, North America claimed 2.5 of the three available points, opening up a 17.5-12.5 lead in the overall standings. A total of 60 points are available, meaning the first team to 30.5 points will win the Continental Cup. Cheap Athletics Jerseys .com) - Demario Richard posted four touchdowns and Kweishi Brown came up with a key late interception as No.NEWPORT, R.I. -- Lindsay Davenport remembers picking up a tennis racket as a child and the feeling that came with the ease of a powerful return. After giving up on two other sports, she found something she liked. On Saturday, she reached her sports highest honour, with her induction into the International Tennis Hall of Fame. Davenport spent 98 weeks ranked No. 1. She won the 1998 U.S. Open, 1999 Wimbledon, 2000 Australian Open and 1996 Olympic gold medal to go with three major doubles titles. She finished the end of four years ranked No. 1. Chris Evert was among those at the ceremony. The tennis great described Davenports game as "so loud, so strong and aggressive." Davenport entered the hall with five-time Paralympic medallist Chantal Vandierendonck in the recent player category, coach Nick Bollettieri, executive Jane Brown Grimes, and broadcaster John Barrett in the contributor category. "Hitting the ball and making contact was always something that came very natural to me," Davenport said. "It was a blessing. It happened at a very young age. I didnt realize that it was that hard to do and I had a special talent, and it took a long time to put that altogether. "Thats what made it so fun to me, the sound, and what I could do witth the shots, and see how hard I could hit them.dddddddddddd Everything else about the game took work and was a struggle, but that was something and that was the reason why I fell in love with it." She was presented by friend and former ATP pro Justin Gimelstob, who played against her at a clinic. The 82-year old Bollettieri has coached 10 players to the No. 1 ranking, including Andre Agassi, Jim Courier, Monica Seles and Boris Becker. In 1978, he founded the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy, the first full-time tennis boarding school in the U.S. "The older you get, its not the (age), but what you have here," he said, touching his chest near his heart. Vandierendonck was a top Dutch player before she was injured in a car accident in 1983. Shes the first woman wheelchair player inducted. Brown Grimes is a former managing director of the Womens Professional Tennis Council (now known as the WTA Board), president of the U.S. Tennis Association, and president of the International Tennis Hall of Fame. Barrett was the "Voice of Wimbledon" on the BBC from 1971-2006. His wife, former top-ranked player Angela Mortimer Barrett, was inducted into the hall in 1993. Agassi and Steffi Graf are the only other married couple in the hall. ' ' '