Chicago Cubs: Three possible landing spots for Yu Darvish
If the Chicago Cubs do end up trading starting pitcher Yu Darvish, one of these three teams could be a likely landing spot.
According to MLB Network’s Jon Morosi, Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Yu Darvish has been floated out as a possible trade piece as the Cubs enter a time of uncertainty when it comes to the core of their roster.
While multiple reports suggest that this is just a matter of the Chicago Cubs doing their due diligence as part of a regular offseason, the rumor mill is slow and movement among free agents/trade pieces is even slower right now, so exploring the trade market for Darvish is about as interesting as it gets right now.
Teams may not have a Babe Ruth to deal, but many teams appear to be more willing to trade for help this offseason than dish out big contracts. Combined with the talks of a likely roster shakeup in Chicago, don’t count out the idea of Yu Darvish being moved over the next few weeks.
Cubs ace Yu Darvish seems out there in trade talks, but it may be an example of a willingness to consider anything. And, off 2nd place Cy finish plus big 2nd half in ‘19, 1 exec rates trade chance as “very low,” and 1 uninvolved rival exec, guessed this on the ask: “Babe Ruth?”
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) December 21, 2020
It’s also interesting that Jon Morosi recently went on MLB Network, suggesting the San Diego Padres as an ideal fit. Maybe it’s just a matter of filling air time during a very slow holiday period, but the extra free time allows for some over-analyzing of every single rumor/tweet about a possible move.
What if Morosi knows a little more than he’s leading on? Could the Chicago Cubs really move on from their ace pitcher who just finished second in National League Cy Young voting?
There’s also the fact that the Chicago Cubs can realistically win the NL Central with their current roster. The Reds are set to sell off a majority of their roster, the Brewers don’t appear to be willing to spend much money, and the Pirates are…the Pirates. Other than having to compete with St. Louis, Chicago is in a good spot in their division right now.
But if they do ultimately deal Yu Darvish, these three teams may be the most likely trade partners.
If the Chicago Cubs want a sizeable return for Yu Darvish, dealing with the San Diego Padres would be smart.
Let’s unpack the possible connection with the San Diego Padres. Should the Chicago Cubs trade Yu Darvish, the one team who could, and is willing to, send back the biggest haul of prospects in return would be the Padres.
Other than the AJ Preller/Darvish connection from their time with the Texas Rangers, the Padres are in desperate need of rotation help after already losing Mike Clevinger for 2021. Trevor Bauer is on the market and is a target, while Sonny Gray is also on the trade block and likely won’t command the type of return Darvish will, but if Preller identifies Darvish as the man he wants, expect the Padres to be very aggressive.
Even after trading for Clevinger, Austin Nola, and bullpen help at last season’s trade deadline, the Padres kept the vast majority of their top prospects.
Assuming Dinelson Lamet, Chris Paddack, and top prospect MacKenzie Gore would not be included in any deal, the Padres still have the prospect depth to make a deal happen.
When you have a group that includes CJ Abrams, Robert Hassell, Ryan Weathers, Luis Patino and plenty of other fringe-Top 100 prospects, the Chicago Cubs could set themselves up nicely by dealing with the Padres for Darvish.
The Padres are going to have to land an impact starting pitcher at some point this offseason if they want to contend with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Adding Yu Darvish would certainly make a statement.
The New York Mets and Chicago Cubs as trade partners?
Considering his age (34) and amount of money left on his contract (three-years/$59 million), the Chicago Cubs likely won’t have very many avenues to explore when it comes to an offseason trade, but like the Padres, there are a few other teams that are reportedly ready to be aggressive this winter.
The New York Mets could be another one of those teams. New York quickly went after James McCann instead of waiting around for J.T. Realmuto, and leadership has been open about the idea of looking more into the trade market versus signing multiple big name free agents.
Trevor Bauer is certainly a target, but the Mets are one of two teams seen as finalists for George Springer. If New York spends big on Springer, a deal with the Chicago Cubs for Darvish solidifies their rotation
New York doesn’t have the deep farm system to deal from, but they do have a number of major league-ready middle infield and outfield pieces with multiple years of control who they could deal, which would help in keeping Chicago competitive while they turn over their roster, and possibly ease the sting a bit that will come with dealing their star pitcher.
From New York’s perspective, a rotation of Jacob deGrom, Marcus Strom, Darvish, and Noah Syndergaard (at some point) would go a long way in completely overhauling a franchise in need of smart decision making and competent leadership giving the fanbase a watchable product.
Could the Los Angeles Angels offer enough for Chicago Cubs starter Yu Darvish?
Will the Los Angeles Angels ever surround Mike Trout with enough talent to reach a World Series? It all starts with having a reliable starting rotation, something the Angels haven’t been able to put together in a long time.
With new leadership running the show, the Angels have cornered the Iglesias market by replacing Andrelton Simmons with another defensive-minded shortstop in Jose Iglesias, and they bolstered their bullpen by trading for Raisel Iglesias from Cincinnati. But that’s nowhere near enough.
Financial relief is on the near horizon (see Albert Pujols), so adding Darvish and his salary to win a World Series now is justifiable.
The tricky part is being able to offer up the talent required to land Darvish from Chicago. The Angels are improving their farm system, but it’s still not very deep. However, the top of their farm system is strong.
Would the Angels part with Jo Adell as part of a package for Darvish? Perhaps, the Chicago Cubs would be willing to negotiate with a package highlighted by outfield prospects Brandon Marsh or Jordyn Adams?
Front-line pitching help is scarce on the current free agent market and the Angels need to do more than add Julio Tehran type pitchers to improve the starting rotation. Dealing for Darvish would be more difficult for the Angels than some other interested teams, but if you’re going to be aggressive in a pursuit of a World Series, this could be a prime year to do so.
Next. Matt Duffy is a quality depth move. dark
The chances of the Chicago Cubs actually moving Yu Darvish are very low, but the move is a justifiable one that would net Chicago plenty of promising pieces for the future.