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Despite swirling rumors, it is looking less likely that the Dodgers will land starter Yu Darvish, according to Jeff Passan on Yahoo! Sports.
It's getting increasingly harder to see Yu Darvish going to the Dodgers. Teams simply aren't matching up despite plenty of discussions.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 31, 2017
The Dodgers, who are in the market to add a starting pitcher with ace Clayton Kershaw on the mend from an ailing back, were considered the favorites to land Darvish at the trade deadline before declaring their top two prospects off-limits in such a deal.
The Rangers reportedly asked for either Alex Verdugo or Walker Beuhler in a return for Darvish, which the Dodgers declined.
Darvish, despite being knocked around in his last start, is a four-time All-Star with an ERA of 4.01 this season, although it was at a much more respectable 3.44 before giving up 10 earned runs against the Marlins his last time out. His contract is up after this season, and the Dodgers seem to believe a rental isn’t worth one of their two prized prospects.
If the two teams remain at odds and move on to other discussions, the Dodgers will likely seek bullpen help to aid their pitching, as Justin Verlander doesn’t figure to be traded and the Yankees appear to be the last remaining suitor for Sonny Gray.