Cubs reportedly close to trade sending Yu Darvish to Padres
Darvish #Darvish
After acquiring left-hander Blake Snell a day earlier from the Tampa Bay Rays, the San Diego Padres are seeking to further bolster their rotation by landing Cubs ace Yu Darvish, according to multiple reports.
Darvish, a right-hander who was the National League Cy Young Award runner-up in 2020 after going 8-3 with a 2.01 ERA, has drawn the most trade interest this offseason.
The Padres reportedly pushing hard to include a catcher in the deal, either Willson Contreras or Victor Caratini. Reports indicate a deal could be struck Monday, the Cubs’ first major move since Theo Epstein departed as team president.
The Padres reportedly are not one of the 12 teams on Darvish’s no-trade list. Darvish, 34, is still owed $62 million over the next three seasons as part of the six-year, $126 million deal he signed with the Cubs before the 2018 season.
Since Memorial Day 2019, Darvish has made 32 starts and totaled 199 2/3 innings, compiling a 2.84 ERA and averaging 11.5 strikeouts and 2.4 walks per nine innings.