The Cubs’ interest in free-agent pitcher Yu Darvish is surprising and intriguing at the same time.
Darvish and Jake Arrieta, both 31, are considered the top two starters on the market, and if Arrieta’s asking price was expected to be too high for the Cubs to consider re-signing him, it made sense Darvish’s demands would be out of their price range as well.
If that kind of money is going to be committed to a starter, wouldn’t a team just give it to the guy it already knows and trusts?
But the slow pace of the market has altered preconceived notions of what the Cubs may or may not do, and now that President Theo Epstein and general manager Jed Hoyer have met with Darvish in Dallas, they probably will be considered front-runners to sign the Japanese star.
Of course, just because Epstein and Hoyer flew to Dallas doesn’t mean they’re going to reel in Darvish. But it does show they are serious about getting something done and aiming high to find a suitable replacement for Arrieta.
The Cubs did not return messages about the meeting. Darvish tweeted that the 3½-hour talk was a “very good meeting,” adding he didn’t bring an interpreter because “I wanted to put myself in a more challenging stage regarding my English.”
So how much is Darvish worth? If the Cubs gave him a Jon Lester-type deal (six years, $155 million) with an opt-out in a couple of years, would that be enough?
Darvish went 10-12 with a 3.86 ERA with the Rangers and Dodgers last year and beat the Cubs in the National League Championship Series before plummeting in spectacular fashion in the World Series. The Cubs apparently aren’t concerned about the World Series performance (eight earned runs in 3 1/3 innings over two starts), which some have attributed to Darvish tipping his pitches, a fixable problem.
If the four-time All-Star performs as well as he has since arriving in the majors in 2012, those World Series starts won’t be an issue — at least until he pitches in the playoffs again and is reminded of his big flop on baseball’s biggest stage.
If the Cubs did sign Darvish, they wouldn’t lose a draft pick as compensation, as they would if they signed Alex Cobb, because Darvish was traded midseason last year and the Dodgers could not make him a qualifying offer.
A Darvish signing also would allow the Cubs to keep all of their young players instead of swapping one or more for a top-line starter. Kyle Schwarber, Addison Russell, Javier Baez, Ian Happ and Albert Almora Jr. probably would be safe for one more year, or at least until the July trade deadline.
While Epstein said after the season he might have to deal some of the young core players this winter, he clearly is reluctant to do so, and for good reason. They’re all still inexpensive and maturing after experiencing bumps and bruises along the way, whether literally (Schwarber’s and Russell’s injuries) or figuratively (Schwarber’s demotion and Baez’s 2017 postseason).
With the exception of Happ, all of them know what it’s like to be part of a championship team that ended a historic drought.
It’s too early to predict how this will end, but one thing is certain: The Cubs’ under-the-radar pursuit of Darvish is a far cry from their memorable chase of Japanese outfielder Kosuke Fukudome 10 years ago.
The Fukudome hype was off the charts that winter, fueled by the Cubs themselves. Without having seen him play, Cubs fans considered Fukudome the missing piece for a team that won a division title in 2007 but got swept by the Diamondbacks in the NL Division Series.
“Our scouts like him,” manager Lou Piniella said during the pursuit. “They say he's a cross between Ichiro (Suzuki) and (Hideki) Matsui.”
When the Cubs signed Fukudome to a four-year, $48 million deal, there was talk in the business offices about new marketing opportunities with Japanese corporations. They even reached out to the local Japanese consulate, which reportedly was “excited” about the idea of a Japanese star coming to Chicago.
“This is, you don't want to say bigger than the game because nothing is bigger than the game, but it's important, and it's important for the city too,” Crane Kenney said after the signing. “I think about the Olympic effort, and this will bring Chicago to that part of the world in terms of the coverage and the images and Wrigley Field and all that we have here."
As it turned out, Fukudome was not a cross between Suzuki and Matsui, and Chicago did not get a Summer Olympics. The buzz quickly wore off after a mediocre debut in 2008 and Fukudome Fever disappeared. He wound up being a good defensive player with a lackluster bat, and Piniella benched him in Game 3 of the 2008 NLDS, in which the Dodgers swept the Cubs.
Unlike Fukudome, Darvish is a known commodity who already has proved himself in the majors. He wouldn’t have the weight of the city on his shoulders — and ultimately could have a chance to redeem himself if he helps the Cubs get back to the World Series.
Twitter @PWSullivan
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