Despite faltering in his two World Series starts, Yu Darvish is among the top pitchers to reach free agency this offseason. He’s joined in the upper echelon of free agents by fellow starter Jake Arrieta.
Depending on perspective, the right-handers are viewed as 1A and 1B. Arrieta and Darvish to this point are said to have received interest from several clubs. One of which is the Minnesota Twins, who have Darvish as their top priority.
Los Angeles Dodgers general manager Farhan Zaidi said the club is open to re-signing the 31-year-old but conceded that may ultimately prove to be a difficult proposition. Darvish is projected to sign one of the most lucrative contracts this winter.
According to Jim Bowden of SiriusXM Radio, he’s not lacking for suitors both in terms of teams with serious interest and those currently on the periphery:
There are six teams legitimately “in” on Yu Darvish and another handful that are staying close according to a source close to Darvish. @MLBNetworkRadio @FantasyAlarm
— Jim Bowden🌟🎤 (@Jim_BowdenSXM) November 28, 2017
In the aftermath of a subpar performance in Game 7 of the World Series, Darvish expressed a desire to re-sign with the Dodgers. A rival executive opined there was zero probability to that manifesting.
Darvish went a combined 10-12 with a 3.86 ERA, 3.83 FIP and 1.16 WHIP in 31 starts for the Texas Rangers and Dodgers. Prior to facing the Houston Astros, he was 2-0 with a 1.59 ERA and 14 strikeouts in 11.1 innings pitched across two postseason starts.
The Dodgers’ level of aggression in pursuing Darvish presumably is tied to Shohei Ohtani and perhaps to a lesser extent, Giancarlo Stanton. If they are to sign Ohtani or trade for Stanton, it may reduce the likelihood of retaining Darvish.
