Texas Rangers Rumors: Dodgers Could Be Close on Yu Darvish Deal

The July 31st trade deadline is just a few days away, and the Rangers have yet to make any moves. The Yu Darvish rumors are heating up though, and the 30-year-old ace could be headed to Los Angeles soon.

It’s safe to say Texas Rangers starter Yu Darvish will be in a new uniform come August. It’s hard to imagine the Rangers keeping Darvish especially after this latest outings. In his last five starts Darvish is 0-3 with a 7.20 ERA.

The soon to be free agent is likely headed elsewhere soon, and Rangers fans need to accept that. It’s a business and Darvish has not signed an extension and the draft pick compensation is not as great as it used to be.

This season Darvish is 6-9 with a 4.01 ERA over 22 starts with 148 strikeouts. He’s put together some bad outings lately, but that shouldn’t hurt his value. The four-time All-Star still has a 2.9 WAR this season despite some struggles.

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The Dodgers seem to be the biggest candidate to land Darvish right now. According to Mark Feinsand the Rangers are heavily interested in Dodgers No. 2 prospect Alex Verdugo. It’s hard to imagine landing a No. 2 prospect for a rental player such as Darvish.

The 21-year-old outfielder Verdugo has been crushing the ball at Triple-A this season. He’s hitting .328 with four home runs and 51 RBI in 89 games. The Dodgers seem hesitant to move Verdugo for Darvish, but that could be the demand.

If the Dodgers are willing to trade Verdugo then it won’t be long before Darvish is in Los Angeles. The Rangers may have to do a deal such as Keone Kela or Jeremy Jeffress packaged with Darvish. A straight up Darvish for Verdugo is not likely on the table anymore.

Next: Is Mike Napoli Getting Traded?

The Rangers lack of inconsistency is what has forced them to sell this July. Sadly, it’s time to clean house and restock the farm system for 2018 and beyond. That begins with moving Darvish, and that should be very soon.