With less than three weeks until all players report for Spring Training, the congested and dormant free-agent market has yet to gain any clarity. Many notable players are still without a club for the season, including Yu Darvish, who was expected to sign one of the largest contracts this winter.
At various points throughout the offseason, Darvish has received plenty of interest from the likes of the Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Dodgers, Minnesota Twins, New York Yankees and Texas Rangers.
The Milwaukee Brewers remain strongly in the mix for Darvish’s services, but no deal is considered imminent at this time.
While Darvish continues to evaluate his options, a return to the Rangers is looking less likely. During an interview with MLB Network Radio, Rangers general manager Jon Daniels cast doubt on a potential reunion with Darvish:
“We’ve maintained contact with Darvish for a variety of reasons. Not the least of which is I really like the guy and think very highly of him both on and off the field. He lives here, there’s a long relationship with him. But I think it’s very unlikely we’re going to bring in one of the upper-end pitchers at this point.”
One believed reason why Darvish remains on the market is his reported desire to re-sign with Los Angeles. The Dodgers have prioritized staying beneath the $197 million luxury tax threshold for this season, so in order to work out a deal, they must shed further salary from its payroll.
Perhaps complicating matters is a contrasting opinion of Darvish among the Dodgers’ upper brass. The ownership group is reportedly divided on the prospect of bringing back the right-hander because of his struggles during the World Series.
