BRADENTON, Fla. — Chris Archer is 2 ½ pounds lighter than at the end of last season.

The Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander didn’t go on a winter diet, though. Instead, Archer cut off his trademark dreadlocks.

“It was time for a change,” Archer said Friday after a spring training workout. “It was time for something different.”

Archer feels the same way about his pitching. He had an awful 2019 season, compiling a 3-9 record and 5.19 ERA in 23 starts.

A Florida resident and North Carolina native, Archer spent a large portion of the offseason working out in Southern California.

“The thing about being out there is it gave me a chance to disconnect,” Archer said. “And disconnecting is something I really needed to do after what happened last season.”

Archer not only has less hair and a clearer mind this spring, but some strong ideas about how he can get his career back on track. He was a two-time All-Star with the Tampa Bay Rays, yet has gone 6-12 with a 4.92 ERA in 33 starts since the Pirates acquired him in a trade in July 2018.

“I just want to go out there and show people,” he said. “I feel like I’m in a really good spot. I know myself and I know that there’s more room to grow. I’m going to tinker with things in spring, but it’s going to be a much better version of myself than there was last year.”

Archer also finished last season on the injured list when shoulder soreness forced him to leave a start against the Washington Nationals on Aug. 20. Archer said he’s back to full health.