MLB Roundup 12/31: The Yankees might go after Yu Darvish

The Yankees may make a run at Yu Darvish

The theme of this offseason, particularly from a Red Sox fan’s perspective, has been how much better the Yankees seem to be after landing Giancarlo Stanton without really affecting their position relative to the luxury tax. It’s terrifying after seeing New York arrive on the scene a year or two before expected and make it all the way to the ALCS. The Stanton acquisition has been followed mostly by rumors of the team going after Gerrit Cole, who while certainly a very talented pitcher with some real potential isn’t overly terrifying. Yu Darvish, on the other hand, is also extremely talented and has the added intimidation of having actually performed at a high level on a consistent basis. It’s true that this past postseason wasn’t great for the former Ranger and Dodger, but Darvish is a legitimate top of the rotation arm. The Yankees had never been connected to him before, but with his market seemingly moving slower than expected New York could now jump into said market if the price comes down enough. This is according to a report from Jon Heyman of Fanrag Sports. If this does actually happen, may God have mercy on us all.

Wade Davis signs with the Rockies

Although we’re still waiting for the top starters and top bats to make a decision on their new team, we got a decision from the top reliever on the market. After signing Jake McGee and Bryan Shaw earlier in the winter and already boasting Adam Ottavino in their bullpen, the Rockies went out and made a splash by signing Wade Davis to a three-year, $52 million contract. The $17 million average annual value is certainly steep, but Davis is one of the very best relievers in baseball who should be able to provide value for at least two of those three years. Colorado’s strategy of spending their resources in the bullpen is really interesting to me and strikes me as a smart strategy. Given Coors Field’s tendency to destroy the hopes and dreams of pitchers, this is a franchise that has always had trouble attracting starting pitchers. It’s a little easier to get relievers on board, though, and now they are pivoting to building a super-bullpen. I have no idea if it’ll work, but Colorado is going to be one National League team I’ll keep a close eye on in 2018.

Happy New Year everyone. See you in 2018! (If you are a person that goes around telling everyone you know that you’ll “see them next year” just know that I’m judging you.)