When the Los Angeles Dodgers traded for Texas Rangers starter Yu Darvish just before the non-waiver trade deadline, he was thought to be the pitcher that would take the 2017 Dodgers over the top in their pursuit of their first World Series since 1988.
The opposite ended up happening, as Darvish did not get out of the second inning in either of his two World Series starts against the Houston Astros, going 0-2 with a 21.60 ERA in 3.1 innings across the two games, one of which was the costly Game 7 decider.
Darvish became a free agent after the season, and before the World Series it looked as if the Dodgers would try to re-sign him as he was excellent for them up until that point, but his two duds against the Astros may be too much for Dodgers fans and the front office to overcome, giving other teams a better chance to sign him.
One team that has shown interest in him is the Minnesota Twins, who are looking to add a top starter to their roster and are believed to prefer Darvish over former Chicago Cubs right-hander Jake Arrieta.
That looks to be the case as on a recent appearance with Jim Duquette on MLB Network Radio, Twins senior vice president and general manager Thad Levine called signing Darvish a priority for him this offseason:
Levine – “I’ve been in contact with Darvish along the way and we’re having active convos with His agent. He’s also a priority for us “ @MLBNetworkRadio
— Jim Duquette (@Jim_Duquette) November 26, 2017
With Darvish and Arrieta being the only premiere starters on the free agent market, they will likely command huge, long-term contracts, something the Dodgers front office has been unwilling to give out to pitchers above the age of 30 like Zack Greinke.
Darvish has said on multiple occassions that he would like to re-sign with Los Angeles as they helped him rediscover his passion for baseball, but unless he is willing to take a big discount to do so it seems unlikely to happen.
