With just two weeks until pitchers and catchers report for Spring Training, Yu Darvish and several other notable players remain free agents. Heading into the offseason, Darvish was viewed by many as the top starting pitcher on the open market.
He’s garnered reported interest from a variety of teams but is believed to be un-signed in part because of a desire to return to the Dodgers. Los Angeles has made it a point to get below the luxury tax threshold, which further complicates matters.
Teams that have also been linked to Darvish include the Chicago Cubs, Minnesota Twins, Philadelphia Phillies, Texas Rangers and New York Yankees. The Twins have made it a point to publicly identify the right-hander as their top target.
Also in the picture are the Milwaukee Brewers, who reportedly made Darvish a contract offer this month.
Although Darvish may have a preference to re-sign with the Dodgers, the Brewers are considered a viable option, according to Robert Murray of Today’s Knuckleball:
The Milwaukee Brewers are in discussions with free agent starting pitcher Yu Darvish and appear to be very much in the mix, sources tell FanRag Sports. There is no evidence to suggest a deal is close at this time.
People throughout the league suggest that the Brewers have been one of the most aggressive teams pursuing Darvish.
The Brewers, who won 86 games in 2017 and barely missed out on the postseason, have been active in recent weeks. They acquired Christian Yelich from the Miami Marlins and also signed fellow outfielder Lorenzo Cain to the most lucrative contract of the winter thus far.
Signing Darvish would be another significant step for Milwaukee in their efforts to unseat the Chicago Cubs at the top of the National League Central division.
