Cubs Rumors: Padres, Cubs have had discussions regarding Yu Darvish

Cubs, Padres make a lot of sense – at least on paper

Theo Epstein (and, to be fair, Jed Hoyer) kept putting their eggs in the same basket: running it back with the same group of guys, making marginal changes to the roster from year-to-year. We all know how that panned out, so it’s nice to see the team at least seriously considering some sweeping changes this offseason.

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Make no mistake. Losing Darvish would be a clear sign the Cubs are taking a step back from contention in 2021. Without him in the fold, Chicago would head into camp with just one proven commodity in the rotation: Kyle Hendricks. You’ve got guys like Alec Mills and Adbert Alzolay in the mix, but, like I said – Hendricks is your only ‘sure’ thing.

Looking at the Padres, it makes a ton of sense why they’re checking in on Darvish. They desperately need starting pitching if they’re going to contend with the Dodgers in the NL West. AJ Preller thought he checked that box when he traded for Mike Clevinger last year, but the former Indians right-hander underwent Tommy John surgery and will miss the 2021 campaign.

When we’re talking about a return in a Darvish trade, really there are a lot of question marks. Can San Diego absorb the three years and $65 million left on his contract? Does he have the Friars on his undisclosed 12-team no-trade list? Which prospects would the team be willing to part with in a trade?

Cubs might have to take on a bloated contract in a trade

There’s been speculation the Padres could look to shed a contract of their own to get a deal done. One name that’s been tossed around is Wil Myers, whose contract pays him $22.5 million in both 2021 and 2022 and carries a $20 million team option with a $1 million buyout.

For the Cubs, that would mean payroll would actually go up for the next two years as Darvish is owed $22 million next season and $19 million in 2022. That tells me there has to be a strong prospect return in such a trade – which, again, is why a team like San Diego makes so much sense. Baseball America ranked the Padres’ system as the second-best in baseball back in August.

We’ll obviously be monitoring this closely – and I doubt this is the last team we see talking to the Cubs about their ace. But it’s clear we’re done just talking about change. It’s coming, whether you’re ready for it or not.