Yu Darvish’s affliction career alpha abiding sounds like it’ll be his last-ever alpha in a Rangers uniform. Multiple letters accept Texas, disturbing back the All-Star break, ready, willing, and able to move Darvish to a adversary by Monday’s barter deadline.
According to MLB.com, the Rangers accept told added teams that they plan to barter Darvish. And, “they are assured they will get a affection return, and [are] actively exchanging names with teams.” This is a accustomed and accessible negotiating tactic, a bulletin to absorbed teams that if they appetite Darvish, they’ll not alone accept to accomplish it account the Rangers’ while, they’ll accept to action a bigger amalgamation than added teams. Get those final bids in, basically.
But it’s not activity to be so simple. Darvish, a chargeless abettor afterwards this season, has 10 teams on his no-trade list.
I see three teams on that list—the Red Sox, Cubs, and Indians—who are about absolutely playoff-bound and ability appetite a frontline amateur to try to put them over the top, and Darvish could block a barter to any of them. The Dodgers and Yankees, both in the bazaar for starters, accept added abeyant barter options, including Justin Verlander and Sonny Gray. So while the Rangers achievement the teams will be aggravating to outbid anniversary other, there’s a adventitious Texas will functionally accept to attempt with Detroit and Oakland to get a accord done instead of lose Darvish for nothing.
(Not absolutely nothing. They can accord Darvish a condoning action this winter, which he’d reject, and they’d accept a aces about in the 70s.)
Darvish is a accomplished bullpen that any aggregation with championship aspirations would adulation to bung into its rotation, but he’s struggled over the aftermost month, putting up a 7.20 ERA in his aftermost bristles starts. He’s additionally activity to be a rental. His acknowledgment may not end up actuality about as aerial as Texas would like, but they’re authoritative it loud and bright they do absolutely accept a price.
