Potential Yu Darvish Landing Spots and Playoff Implications

By this point in the season, many people – fans and analysts alike – thought the Rangers would be locked in a battle for the AL West crown. The lineup is filled with young talent, headlined by the likes of Joey Gallo, Nomar Mazara, and Rougned Odor. Theoretically, a trio of Yu Darvish, Cole Hamels, and Tyson Ross would be a playoff-caliber top of the rotation. So how does a team with such promise find itself two games below .500 and seventeen games out of the division lead? The dominance of the Astros, for one, but also a number of underperforming position players (Odor is hitting .215) and lengthy disabled list stints by their starters have left the Rangers nine games out of the Wild Card race. As always, dropping out of the Wild Card is a sure indicator of a front office selling frenzy. According to Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports, the Rangers have started making calls to contenders about trading away Yu Darvish. Here are some potential landing spots for the ace, and the impact it would have as the playoff race picks up intensity.

New York Yankees. The Yankees might have surprised themselves at how good they are this year. After trading for Todd Frazier and David Robertson, it appears they want to take the next step to close the gap on the Red Sox. Trading for Yu Darvish would be a necessary piece for their rotation, which is by far the weak link of this Yankees squad. Darvish, Severino, Tanaka, and the surprisingly-consistent Sabathia could land them comfortably into the top Wild Card spot, and even a shot at the AL East Crown if the Red Sox do not emerge from their offensive funk.

Los Angeles Dodgers. After Clayton Kershaw just went down with an injury yesterday, and could see time on the DL, adding Darvish would help out a hobbled rotation immensely. The Dodgers certainly have a huge playoff cushion with their best record in baseball, but they should have their eyes set on October. Kershaw, Darvish, and Alex Wood is a formidable front of the rotation. The Dodgers are always right there, but can’t seem to get over the NLCS hump. The addition of Yu Darvish would give them another ace to all but guarantee a trip to the World Series this year.

Milwaukee Brewers. Another shocking story of 2017 is the Brewers, who – for a time – found themselves in control of the NL Central over the reigning champions. The lineup has produced some impressive numbers, but the team needs an ace if they want to seriously contend for a playoff spot in 2017 and beyond. Jimmy Nelson won’t cut it. Trading for Yu Darvish could help the Brewers pull off a huge upset in the NL Central, but more likely it would put them in position to snag the second Wild Card Spot. Even still, having Yu Darvish in a one-game Wild Card series is reason for excitement…

Arizona Diamondbacks. In a stacked NL West, the Diamondbacks’ best hope this year is for a Wild Card Spot. This is certainly attainable, thanks to the all-around production by the lineup and rotation. By adding Darvish, however, Arizona immediately becomes a more legitimate threat in an NLDS series. They will have one of the steadiest, top-to-bottom rotations in baseball (Darvish, Greinke, Ray, Corbin, Walker). Darvish gives them the star-power that a team needs for October.

Washington Nationals. Like the Dodgers, the Nationals still are trying to get over the hump. After a potential injury to Strasburg yesterday, they suddenly find themselves in need of another ace. Max Scherzer is carrying the load for this team, but Gio Gonzalez and Tanner Roark won’t win you a playoff series against the Dodgers. The Nats should go all-out in pursuing Darvish right now, or else they will face another disappointing end and waste another year of Bryce Harper’s prime.  

Written by Matt Loehle