Fansided

Yu Darvish rumors: Top 5 landing spots

By Joshua Sadlock

ARLINGTON, TX - JULY 26: Yu Darvish #11 of the Texas Rangers throws against the Miami Marlins in the second inning at Globe Life Park in Arlington on July 26, 2017 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
ARLINGTON, TX - JULY 26: Yu Darvish #11 of the Texas Rangers throws against the Miami Marlins in the second inning at Globe Life Park in Arlington on July 26, 2017 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 5
Next
BALTIMORE, MD – SEPTEMBER 22: Alex Cobb #53 of the Tampa Bay Rays pitches during a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on September 22, 2017 in Baltimore, Maryland. The Rays won 8-3. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
BALTIMORE, MD – SEPTEMBER 22: Alex Cobb #53 of the Tampa Bay Rays pitches during a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on September 22, 2017 in Baltimore, Maryland. The Rays won 8-3. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) /

3. Chicago Cubs

Yu Darvish quickly shot down a rumor online that a deal with the Cubs was imminent. That was before Christmas, and there has not been much traction towards an actual deal in the weeks that have followed. This is unlike the offseasons of the past few years for the Cubs, where any free agent that Theo Epstein set his sights on was signed within a day or two.

The Cubs are one of the most attractive free-agent destinations for any player on the open market, but they are running out of payroll flexibility as a team. Kris Bryant is about to get very expensive, same goes for Anthony Rizzo. Jason Heyward is not going to opt-out of his albatross of a contract, so the Cubs will be stuck with him for all eight years and $184 million.

Trading for a starter like Chris Archer of the Tampa Bay Rays is another option for the Cubs, but they will likely be forced to sign Darvish or find a way to reunite with Jake Arrieta to fill out their rotation. Unlike some of the other World Series contenders, Chicago does not have a dominant bullpen that can shorten most playoff games to five innings. They have to be able to get starters through at least six innings to have a chance to win.

For all their wins in developing position players, the Cubs have not developed starting pitching under Epstein’s watch. That forces them to bid on high-priced free agents to keep their rotation functioning at a high level. Ultimately, Darvish is a fit for the Cubs, but they are also still in the hunt for a closer to replace Wade Davis. Their best option may be to shoot lower with a mid-tier arm like Alex Cobb and make a push for Greg Holland to take the ball in the ninth inning.

Home/MLB