MLB free agency — Yu Darvish
This rotation would make this team competitive in either league.
Darvish would be an ace on several teams, and he also possesses one of the best repertoires in the MLB. He eclipsed 200 strikeouts in each of his three full seasons, and he is a four-time All-Star.
Teams acknowledge his status as an ace, hence why he’s asking for a massive contract worth more than $20 million a year. Only a select few are willing to pay that much, and teams drop out as days go by.
Nevertheless, everyone knows how valuable Darvish is at the head of any rotation. Even though he owned a losing record last season, he ranked 12th in strikeouts in the league and 13th in WHIP. He ranked higher than other aces, such as Gerrit Cole and Marcus Stroman, in both categories.
Fans knocked Darvish last year for his poor performance in the postseason. While he did cause mayhem in the World Series, he’s much better than that. He should be able to rebound if he makes it into the playoffs again.
Any team would be lucky to have the right-hander, but his price will determine where he goes. And thus far, it hasn’t gotten him anywhere yet. He’s still the best pitcher on the market by far.
MLB free agency — Jake Arrieta
The former Cubs hurler is a semi-ace. He was the team’s best pitcher before last year, and he compiled one of the best second-half stretches in recent years.
Arrieta, though not a premier ace anymore, is still a very high-caliber pitcher at the top of any rotation. Even though he posted his worst ERA since 2013 last season, he still put up relatively good numbers.
An uptick in hits allowed forced Arrieta’s WHIP to increase, and he also a career-high 23 home runs. As an example, Arrieta surrendered 150 hits in 168 1/3 innings last year. He also allowed 150 hits in 2015, but that was across 229 innings.
Arrieta wasn’t his old self-last year. However, he still racked up a stable strikeout rate and yielded fewer walks per nine innings compared to 2016. He ranked within the top 20 in ERA and WHIP.
Most teams still need an above-average arm, but of course, money gets in the way. Only a few can ultimately afford the 31-year-old.
But he will suit up for some club before Spring Training begins. He’s too talented to be left on the free agent market in March.