MLB free agency: Yankees targeting Yu Darvish

The Yankees are seriously considering signing free-agent starter Yu Darvish to help bolster their rotation, according to Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports.

The Yankees want to add a frontline starter and have been trying to go after guys such as the Pirates’ Gerrit Cole, the Tigers’ Michael Fulmer, the Rays’ Chris Archer and free agent Alex Cobb.

However, the trade talks between the Yankees and Pirates have stalled since Dec. 22, when the Yankees said they were hopeful to put together a package that did not include top prospect Gleyber Torres. As far as Fulmer and Archer, Fulmer is coming off an injury and Archer plays for a division rival, which makes trades for them seem unlikely. In regards to Cobb, Heyman says the Yankees “like” him, but Cobb has also drawn interest from the Cubs, Orioles, Rangers and Blue Jays.

Which brings up Darvish, who Heyman says people within the Yankees organization like the idea of having on the team, and at “a reasonable price,” will be looked at by the club.

Last year, Darvish posted a 10-12 record with a 3.86 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 209 strikeouts over the course of 186 ²⁄₃ innings between the Rangers and the Dodgers. After being acquired at the non-waiver deadline by the Dodgers, Darvish helped the club get to the World Series by winning games in both the NLDS and NLCS, but had two disastrous starts in the Fall Classic, including Game 7.

So far, Darvish has drawn interest from the Cubs, Astros and Twins. In fact, the Cubs and Astros both met Darvish in Texas, as the Cubs saw him on Dec. 18 and the Astros talked to Darvish a day later.

One thing that is clear with the Yankees is that they want to get under the $197 million luxury tax threshold. Heyman says “they might need to make a little room” by getting Darvish at a reasonable rate and possibly trade Jacoby Ellsbury, a high-priced veteran who has a full no-trade clause but “is said to be willing to consider a few scenarios.”

Adding Darvish would also give the Yankees a rotation that includes Luis Severino, Masahiro Tanaka, Sonny Gray, Jordan Montgomery and CC Sabathia. This staff could be strong enough to help the Yankees, who also added Giancarlo Stanton this offseason, get to the World Series after losing to the eventual champion Astros in seven games last year in the ALCS.