As the General Managers Meetings continue on in Orlando, Fla., the Los Angeles Dodgers will soon begin constructing their roster for the 2018 season. The club has decisions to make on seven of its own free agents, including midseason acquisition Yu Darvish.
Darvish is among the most sought-after free agents this offseason. Despite his poor showing in the World Series, he’s projected to land one of the largest contracts of the winter.
There doesn’t figure to be a shortage of suitors for Darvish, as the free-agent market lacks a strong variety of top-tier starting pitchers. Among the teams to already inquire on the right-hander include the Minnesota Twins and St. Louis Cardinals, both of whom reportedly have Darvish at the top of their wish list.
Los Angeles acquired the 31-year-old at the non-waiver trade deadline with the understanding that Darvish would more than likely be a rental, and not a long-term asset to the club. Dodgers general manager Farhan Zaidi reiterated that notion in spite Darvish’s results in the World Series, per Andy McCullough of the L.A. Times:
“I don’t know that the end really changes much,” Zaidi said. “It was always going to be a difficult [re-signing] for us to do, but we do have some interest.”
In 186.2 innings this season, Darvish pitched to a 3.86 ERA and 3.83 FIP between the Texas Rangers and Dodgers. He allowed just one run over his final 19.1 frames down the stretch of the year and thrived in the early rounds of the postseason.
Darvish yielded just two runs in a pair of road starts against the Arizona Diamondbacks and Chicago Cubs in the National League Division and Championship Series, respectively. He faltered in two Fall Classic outings, allowing nine runs over 3.1 innings without recording a strikeout.
Should Darvish depart for another organization, the Dodgers have other free-agent options in Jake Arrieta, Alex Cobb and potentially Shohei Otani — who’s expected to be posted by the Nippon-Ham Fighters.
The Dodgers can also turn to the trade market for a high-end pitcher, should they choose. The Tampa Bay Rays are reportedly fielding offers for their ace Chris Archer, a Los Angeles target in recent seasons.
