For stretches this season the Los Angeles Dodgers seemingly didn’t have much of a need for starting pitching. Whether one now exists can still be debated, but there is no denying the back of the rotation faces question marks.
Hyun-Jin Ryu is expected to come off the disabled list Monday; Brandon McCarthy is facing some trouble with a blister on the middle finger of his throwing hand, plus he’s been shaky of late; and Kenta Maeda has had his bouts with inconsistency.
While the Dodgers have been prominently linked to several left-handed relievers, they’ve also been tied to Texas Rangers starter Yu Darvish within the past week.
According to Jon Morosi of FOX Sports, the Dodgers have strong interest in trading for Darvish:
Sources: #Dodgers showing strong interest in Yu Darvish, as are multiple other teams. Talks remain in early stages. @MLBNetwork @MLB
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) July 23, 2017
The Rangers only recently began gauging interest for the 30-year-old. In addition to Darvish, the Dodgers reportedly scouted Justin Verlander over the last few days. The right-handers present Los Angeles with drastically different options.
Darvish is eligible for free agency this winter, while Verlander is under team control for at least two more years. Darvish is also having a far superior season, despite only being 6-8 with a 3.44 ERA and 1.12 WHIP in 21 starts.
With scouts from the Dodgers and other organizations in attendance, he threw eight strong innings against the Tampa Bay Rays, allowing just three hits on five runs, while collecting 12 strikeouts.
The Chicago Cubs and Houston Astros have also been connected to Darvish. History suggests the Dodgers would not trade the presumed prospects necessary to acquire the right-hander.
In the event a deal is completed, Darvish would provide a strong complement to a rotation that’s heavy on left-handers.
