Chicago Cubs Rumors: Is Yu Darvish the right fit for starting rotation?

According to reports, the Chicago Cubs have recently met with free agent starting pitcher Yu Darvish. Is he the pitcher they need to bolster their rotation for next season and far beyond?

So far this offseason, the Chicago Cubs have been quite busy. They have made moves to address both their bullpen and starting rotation, bringing in Brandon Morrow, Steve Cishek, Tyler Chatwood and currently-injured pitcher Drew Smyly.

However, the Cubs still haven’t necessarily made that “big move” that some have been waiting for. That could soon change, though, with rumors surrounding the Cubs and Yu Darvish beginning to heat up. According to Bruce Levine of CBS Chicago, the Cubs and Darvish met on Monday.

Excellent track record

Darvish has been a top-tier starting pitcher since coming over from Japan before the beginning of the 2012 season. Over his first three seasons with the Texas Rangers, he went 39-25 with a 3.27 ERA and a 1.20 WHIP. Over that stretch, he ranked sixth among American League pitchers with a 12.8 fWAR.

After undergoing Tommy John surgery and missing the entirety of the 2015 season, Darvish bounced back to post a 7-5 record with a 3.41 ERA and a 1.12 WHIP for the Rangers in 2016. This past season, Darvish went 10-12 with a 3.86 ERA and a 1.16 WHIP for the Rangers and Los Angeles Dodgers. He did have a rough World Series, however, posting a 21.60 ERA over two starts.

Darvish has also earned a reputation for being an elite strikeout pitcher, posting an exceptional 11.04 K/9 in his career. Last season, he became the quickest pitcher to 1,000 career strikeouts in MLB history.

Darvish will certainly come at a cost. At the beginning of the offseason, MLB Trade Rumors predicted that the Cubs would sign Darvish at a hefty price of six years and $160 million.

Apparently, the addition of Darvish would be very likely to shut the door on the return of Jake Arrieta officially. The starting rotation would likely consist of Darvish, Jon Lester, Kyle Hendricks, Jose Quintana, and Chatwood, with Eddie Butler and Mike Montgomery being the odd-men out.

Darvish vs. Arrieta

It will be interesting to see if the Cubs decide that Darvish is a better long-term investment than Arrieta. Arrieta and Darvish are roughly the same age. Both pitchers will turn 32 years old next season (Arrieta in March, Darvish in August.) Arrieta and Darvish both carry a certain amount of risk as well.

In the six years that MLB Trade Rumors predicted, Darvish would be in his late-30s at the end of the deal. Given that he is past 30 and has already undergone Tommy John surgery, signing him to a mega-deal could undoubtedly come with uncertainties.

Arrieta has shown signs of decline since his Cy Young campaign in 2015. Still, last season, he went 14-10 with a 3.53 ERA and a 1.22 WHIP. Moreover, Arrieta posted a 2.28 ERA over 12 starts in the second half of last season.

MLB Trade Rumors predicted that Arrieta would be a bit less expensive than Darvish, projecting him to land with the division-rival Milwaukee Brewers on a four-year, $100 million deal. With Arrieta being represented by super-agent Scott Boras, though, they will likely be pushing for more.

What about Alex Cobb?

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Another starting pitcher the Cubs have been linked to this offseason is free agent Alex Cobb.

The 30-year-old Cobb has spent his entire career with the Tampa Bay Rays up until now, going 48-35 with a 3.50 ERA over six seasons.

Like Darvish, he missed all of the 2015 season due to Tommy John surgery.

While Cobb has been excellent when healthy, his durability remains a bit of a question.

Cobb has never made 30 starts or pitched 180 innings in a single season. Last year, Cobb made 29 starts and threw 179.1 innings, both of which marked career highs.

Still, given Cobb’s familiarity with manager Joe Maddon and pitching coach Jim Hickey, it appeared to be a good match.

That said, Cobb’s asking price is reportedly a bit high. According to Gordon Wittenmeyer of the Chicago Sun Times, Cobb is looking for around $20 million per year.

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While there may be a bit of uncertainty with Darvish, particularly regarding the type of pitcher he may be several years from now, he is quite arguably the best pitcher who is out there at the moment. It would certainly make sense for the Cubs to bring him aboard.