Padres Closing In On a Deal for Cubs’ All-Star Yu Darvish

Yu Darvish with the Cubs in 2019. Photo by Nicholas T Loverde/CSM/Shutterstock

Just one day after shocking the MLB by trading for Tampa Bay Rays’ five-player trade, San Diego Padres made another blockbuster deal.

According to multiple reports, the Padres are closing in on a deal with Chicago Cubs that would land them four-time All-Star pitcher Yu Darvish.

Padres will also receive Darvish’s favorite catcher Victor Caratini while sending right-hander Zach Davies and four prospects—outfielder Owen Caissie, outfielder Ismael Mena, shortstop Reggie Preciado, and shortstop Yeison Santana—to Chicago.

Darvish joins the Padres following a stellar campaign in a shortened 2020 season that saw him finish second in NL Cy Young voting and earning an All-MLB First-Team nod. He finished the year with an 8-3 record in 12 starts while posting 2.01 ERA and 93 strikeouts.

With Darvish and Snell in their rotation, Padres have one of the scariest pitching cores in the entire MLB. The duo will be joined by reliable arms in Dinelson Lamet and Chris Paddack next season, while Mike Clevinger will be added in 2022 after he recovers from Tommy John surgery.

The Cubs, who have no intention to compete in the near future, the deal makes sense because it replenishes their weak farm system. All four prospects they received have the potential to develop into starting-caliber players, with Preciado being touted as the next big star on the position.

Chicago also received badly needed salary-relief with the move, considering they were set to pay Darvish $59 million in the next three years.