MLB free agency: Yankees made offer to Yu Darvish

The Yankees have offered free-agent starter Yu Darvish a contract, Darvish said on Twitter a few hours after denying a report that said he had received one.

At 12:51 p.m. Friday, Darvish refuted a Thursday report by Michael Kay of ESPN Radio that he received a seven-year, $160 million offer from New York in a reply to a Twitter user, saying, “They don’t give me offer yet.” However, Darvish tweeted a correction at 6:08 p.m., saying, “Sorry guys. My mistake. Actually they did make offer but the numbers are not correct.” Darvish did not disclose the terms of the offer or say whether it is still on the table.

This news comes two days after Darvish was reportedly considering signing with either the Yankees, Cubs, Rangers, Astros, Twins or the Dodgers. The Yankees like Darvish and are serious about their pursuit of him, but they want to sign him for a price that can help them stay under the luxury tax threshold.

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman reiterated this sentiment on Thursday in an interview with WFAN Sports Radio.

“The higher the cost of the player, if it’s a trade or a free agent signing … I would have to create more financial room so we do not trip up that luxury tax when the dust settles at the end of this year, unless ownership changes their mind on that,” Cashman said in the interview. He also said Darvish was ”a tremendous pitcher.”

Adding Darvish would 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.