Texas Rangers: 5 Questions Heading Into The 2017 Season

Will Yu Darvish sign an extension with the Rangers?

Yu Darvish came over from Japan in 2012, on a six-year deal. That contract expires after the 2017 season, and should be a main concern for the Rangers. The 30-year-old pitcher has been to three All-Star games in four seasons.

The issue with Darvish is his health, and if he can continue to be an ace starting pitcher. When healthy there is no doubt that Darvish is one of the best pitchers in the entire Major Leagues. Unfortunately for the Rangers, he only made 17 starts last season.

Darvish missed all of the 2015 season, and the organization should be concerned going forward. The Rangers do not want to sign a long-term extension to a player that has a history with injuries. They’ve seen the horror stories with pitchers getting huge extensions and spending over half the time on the disabled list.

Since joining the Rangers in 2012, Darvish is 46-30 3.29 ERA in 100 starts with 812 strikeouts. An impressive stat line for him, but are the Rangers ready to take the next step? The organization does not have the depth to let Darvish walk into free agency.

If they do not see a long-term deal on the horizon, then the best move would be to trade Darvish. The Rangers want to at least get something of value out of him. If they don’t then they will lose an ace pitcher and get nothing in return. It will be interesting to see how the organization approaches this situation during the 2017 season.