Given the ongoing wealth of Chicago Cubs trade rumors of late, it's clear Theo Epstein is hoping for another bold move to fortify his pitching rotation. Clearly his acquisition of Jose Quintana from the White Sox injected some life into the team. After finishing 43-45 at the All-Star break, the Cubs came roaring out of the second half to start 6-0 with Quintana nailing his first start. Suddenly Chicago is only one game back of the NL Central-leading Brewers.
Anybody with eyes can now see this team is starting to resemble the formidable unit that just got done winning the World Series. One more big move might be what it takes to push them over the top. Kyle Hendricks is on his way back from the DL but the team has to find a way to get Mike Montgomery back into the bullpen where he's been far more effective (2.50 ERA vs. 5.13 as a starter).
One name that got dropped via Jon Paul Morosi of MLB.com is none other than four-time Texas Rangers All-Star Yu Darvish.
Chicago Cubs trade rumors shift to surging Darvish
"The Cubs have inquired to the Rangers on the availability of ace Yu Darvish, according to sources, and a trade match between the teams is more plausible than it would've been entering the All-Star break. Consider what has transpired since then:
• The Cubs have won six straight games to start the second half, conveying to the front office that the 2017 roster is worthy of further investment. • Theo Epstein already acquired a long-term rotation piece, Jose Quintana, giving him the freedom to pursue rentals such as Darvish. • The Rangers, meanwhile, have lost five straight games, including a four-game sweep in Baltimore. They'd need to pass six teams to move into the second Wild Card position in the American League, which is unlikely. And while Rangers general manager Jon Daniels hasn't formally decided to sell, executives around the league believe he will in the coming days. • Darvish, who turns 31 next month, is having his best, healthiest season since 2013, with a 1.141 WHIP in 125 1/3 innings."
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Darvish struggled with injuries over the two previous years. He was forced to have Tommy John surgery in 2015 after discovering a torn UCL in his elbow. Then he experienced neck and shoulder problems in 2016. That recent history might be just enough to keep the price tag low for the Cubs despite Darvish having just appeared in his fourth All-Star game.For the season he has an earned run average of 3.45. That's pretty solid given the league average ERA for 2017 is 4.34. Darvish would not likely be a long-term piece. He'd represent another rental similar to Aroldis Chapman last season. A high-risk, high-reward proposition. There's no doubt the Cubs would be formidable down the stretch with a rotation of Jon Lester, Jose Quintana, Jake Arrieta, Yu Darvish and a hopefully healthy Hendricks. Not to mention Mike Montgomery joining Wade Davis back in the bullpen. Together with that lineup of bats? Yeah it would be hard not to like the Cubs as possible repeat champs. The first time any team has done it since 2000. That would be another nice piece of history for this team to accomplish.
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