The Cubs are trading right-handed pitcher Yu Darvish and Victor Caratini to the San Diego Padres in exchange for Zach Davies and four prospects, according to multiple reports.
The deal follows what has been an offseason of turnover and change for the Cubs.
Darvish, 34, the National League Cy Young runner-up after going 8-3 with a 2.01 ERA in 2020, had drawn significant trade interest and was the Cubs’ most valuable asset based on his ability and relatively reasonable contract. Coming off one of the best two-year stretches of his career, trading the right-hander signals that there will be a retooling on the North Side focusing on the future.
When Jed Hoyer took over as team president in November, he didn’t hide from the fact that tough decisions were coming. But few would have predicted those decisions would include not just position players approaching free agency but also the Cubs’ best starting pitcher.
“In this job, you always have one eye on the present and one eye on the future,” Hoyer said last month. “And the truth is that, given the service-time realities . . . I think that eye might be a little bit more focused toward the future than usual.”
The Padres had been pushing hard for a catcher in the deal and got their man by getting Caratini in the package for Darvish. Caratini became Darvish’s personal catcher in 2019 and the results show why. Darvish has a career 2.80 ERA in 31 games with Caratini.
The four reported prospects included in the deal for Darvish include shortstops Reginald Preciado and Yeison Santana and outfielders Owen Caissie and Ismael Mena.
The trade of Darvish is Cubs’ first major move under Hoyer after they non-tendered outfielders Kyle Schwarber and Albert Almora Jr. earlier this offseason.
The trade doesn’t include top-tier prospects like MacKenzie Gore and CJ Abrams, but sheds a significant amount of salary from the Cubs’ books, which was a necessity this offseason. Darvish is currently 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 compiled a 2.84 ERA over 32starts (199 ⅔ innings), averaging 11.5 strikeouts and 2.4 walks per nine innings.
The Cubs already have concerns about their starting pitching depth, and dealing their ace adds to that. Davies joins Kyle Hendricks, Alec Mills and Adbert Alzolay in the team’s rotation. Mills and Alzolay have limited experience despite increased roles in 2020, having combined for just 152 ⅔ innings.
“We understand that if we’re planning for 162 [games] as it is right now, we’re going to have to have some pitching depth,” Cubs manager David Ross said.
The trade becomes the the first domino to fall in the Cubs offseason of change and with Darvish now traded, the attention now turns to infielders Kris Bryant and Javy Baez, who are both on the final year of their contract before becoming free agents next winter.
While it’s obvious the Cubs are looking at the future, the NL Central isn’t running away from anyone and with the no elite team, the division is up for grabs. But if the Cubs have decided to go in this direction, a division title might be a tougher to come by than in recent years.
“I think there’s always challenges in trying to do both. And that’s why I do think you have to have your eye on both things,” Hoyer said. “I think that means you have to be opportunistic when decisions come up that allow you to do both.
“I think at some point, you do have to look at the bigger picture. We did win the division this year. We are really talented. And so I think we can do both, but it does probably mean being a little bit opportunistic at certain times.”
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December 29, 2020 at 03:33AM
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Cubs reportedly close to trade sending Yu Darvish to Padres - Chicago Sun-Times
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