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Yu Darvish Suggests Opt-Out Unlikely

By Jeff Todd | September 27, 2019 at 8:38pm CDT

Cubs righty Yu Darvish isn’t ready to make anything official, but has given clear indication in recent comments that he has no intentions of opting out of the remaining four years and $81MM left on his contract. That it’s even a question worth asking reflects his remarkable mid-season turnaround.

In recent interviews with Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune and the full slate of Cubs beat reporters (including MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian), Darvish said he’s going to take some time to think things over and discuss it with his agent and family. There’s still a few weeks’ time to think things over. Darvish’s season is over — he won’t take his final start owing to nagging forearm discomfort — and he doesn’t need to make an official decision until after the end of the World Series.

But it doesn’t seem likely that things will change in the interim. Darvish said that he’s “so comfortable” in Chicago and that his family is as well. He credited the organization — particularly skipper Joe Maddon — for patience as he worked through marked early difficulties after signing a big contract.

Truth be told, it’d be tough for Darvish to beat the remaining guarantee he has in hand. He just turned 33, has a worrying injury history, and limped through his first year-and-a-half with the Cubs. But he has been exceptional down the stretch. Over his final 13 starts, Darvish carried a 2.76 ERA with 118 strikeouts and just seven walks.

Darvish says he has never before commanded the baseball as well as he is now. With the results to prove it, the future again looks promising for a key Cubs performer. Darvish, at least, thinks that Chicago is the right place for him to continue his excellent career. “This organization is perfect for me,” he says.

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View Comments (46)

Comments

  1. BeeVeeTee

    3 years ago

    Come on, Helen Keller saw this one coming!

    Reply
    • tycobb016

      3 years ago

      I think Darvish should be the Cubs starter in the first game of the NLDS this year.

      Reply
      • wb3cubs

        3 years ago

        Reply
    • Show Me Your Tatis

      3 years ago

      Zing

      Reply
  2. NU Wildcats

    3 years ago

    No surprise. Hopefully he’ll sustain his improved performance.

    Reply
    • oldtimer

      3 years ago

      I hope he opts out! Theo needs a do over on this one!

      Reply
  3. nats3256

    3 years ago

    Least shocking headline of the year.

    Reply
  4. Gocubsgo1986

    3 years ago

    Almost as shocking as heyward last year

    Reply
  5. Show Me Your Tatis

    3 years ago

    Shocker

    Reply
  6. Show Me Your Tatis

    3 years ago

    Further evidence that opt-out clauses are terrible for teams

    Reply
    • wordonthestreet

      3 years ago

      Actually if he opted out it would be terrible for the team. Opting to stay is good for the Cubs.

      Reply
    • kleppy12

      3 years ago

      Opt out or team options are good for whoever has them and bad for those who dont, it’s kind of the entire point of them and mutual options are just pointless.

      Reply
      • Show Me Your Tatis

        3 years ago

        @kleppy12 a lot of commenters say that opt-outs are mutually beneficial because they potentially take the team of the hook for the player’s decline years. But in practice, you basically never see a player opt-out in a scenario where their team wants them to. Really the only player who has done that is AJ Burnett but he knew he wasn’t going to beat the money he was leaving on the table in FA but getting to spend his last season before he retired pitching for a contender was evidently more important to him.

        Reply
      • ElMagoN9ne

        3 years ago

        Bryce Harper is gonna regret not having at least 3 of them 1 every 4 years. I dont see him finishing his contract with philly

        Reply
  7. krinks

    3 years ago

    Thus cursing the Cubbies for four more years.

    Reply
    • jdan74

      3 years ago

      Cursing? He has pitched lights out for a while now. Dude is the ace of the staff.

      Reply
      • BeeVeeTee

        3 years ago

        Come on now, last year the Cubs’ fans were saying that Darvish was a garbage pitcher to a bad signing and now he is the Ace for the Cubs. Darvish was 6 and 8 with 3.98 ERA this year where he is getting paid like an Ace but is not actually one right now. Darvish is only on the Cubs to attract that Japanese market next season when the new tv deals kicks in next year.

        Reply
        • rayrayner

          3 years ago

          The Japanese market? So like the Sox sign Cuban players to attract the Cuban market?

        • wordonthestreet

          3 years ago

          BVT the Japanese market? What is wrong with you?

        • chitown311

          3 years ago

          Cuban market? No the Sox are in the TALENT market.

        • BeeVeeTee

          3 years ago

          Are you guys that stupid where you do not realize baseball is huge in Japan, Darvish is from Japan and the people there will watch Cubs’ games when he pitches for them? Therefore a lot of people in Japan would be purchasing the Cubs’ station! It’s common sense!

        • rayrayner

          3 years ago

          Darvish was signed by the Cubs to replace Arrieta, not to sell the new network to the Japanese. We don’t even know how MLB is broadcast in Japan.

        • BeeVeeTee

          3 years ago

          Japan airs MLB games! Japan has been doing it for years. There is a reason why most of the teams with their own networks had and have Japanese players on their teams. A friend of mine went to Japan a few times and told me that Darvish was probably the most popular player.
          The Cubs were trying to get Othani that offseason but did not have the international bonus money to obtain him. There were rumors how the Cubs made a few attempts to move Baez to obtain international pool money but could not get it done. That’s why the Cubs signed Darvish. Don’t forget that Darvish did not sign with the Cubs right away.

        • rayrayner

          3 years ago

          People in Japan can directly buy Marquee, MSN, etc.?

    • wordonthestreet

      3 years ago

      Krinks obviously does not watch much baseball let alone Cubs games

      Reply
  8. VegasSDfan

    3 years ago

    Will Myers for Darvish straight up!

    Reply
    • rayrayner

      3 years ago

      You would like that. Yu and I would not.

      Reply
    • differentbears

      3 years ago

      Padres would jump at that.

      Reply
    • bush1

      3 years ago

      I’d love to get rid of Darvish, but that is a laughable offer. Myers is literally worthless. At least Yu offers something.

      Reply
      • chitown311

        3 years ago

        You offers $21mm salary of 4.00+ ERa his age 33-36 seasons. Very valuable

        Reply
        • bush1

          3 years ago

          I didn’t say Yu offered a lot of value Captain Troll. I said he’s much more valuable than Myers. Which isn’t saying much. I basically indicated that Yu is way overpaid and he wasn’t worth the money in my prior post, but you felt it necessary to point out something that I am already saying. Just dumb…

  9. i hate my father

    3 years ago

    If Darvish pitches like he did in the 2nd half this year, then I am happy to see him back.

    Reply
  10. Ricky Adams

    3 years ago

    Why would he opt out? Im sure chicago is a nice place to play after starting in texas. Plus, hed likely only get like 3/35 4/45

    Reply
    • justinkm19

      3 years ago

      He pitched better in TX and is used to the heat. Texas was smart to let him go. He will be riddled with injuries the rest of his career.

      Reply
      • Ricky Adams

        3 years ago

        Japanese players never hold up in majors except for ichiro

        Reply
  11. Bochys Retirement Fund

    3 years ago

    Lol “he’s comfort in Chicago”? Like he’s comfortable making $20 million a year when he’s aware no one would even come close spewing out.

    Reply
  12. cjuluca

    3 years ago

    Stuck paying him 4/81m and Maddon is the one on the hot seat.

    Reply
  13. spooky

    3 years ago

    Enjoy 37 yr old Yu making 20 mil Chicago.

    Reply
    • Robert

      3 years ago

      Ha, $20M is peanuts on The North Side, in 2023 it will be even less. A bad investment for sure, but lets not act like it’s really going to hamstring the Cubs…

      Reply
  14. ruckus727

    3 years ago

    A 3.1 WAR starter with 11.5 K/9 and a 4:1 K/BB ratio and 1.09 WHIP. I don’t think 4/$81M is unreasonable in today’s market, assuming he can stay healthy and make around 30 starts per season. Granted that’s far from a guarantee but no one can predict injury. I admit I thought this was a terrible contract when signed and it has been until July of this year but the way he threw the ball in the second half allows for some optimism. He was fantastic down the stretch. With the question marks surrounding the rest of the rotation, he and Hendricks offer some stability. As a Cub fan, I hope he does not opt out although earlier this year I would have pleaded for it. As for J-Hey, well, that’s a different story.

    Reply
    • bush1

      3 years ago

      Do you really trust Darvish maintaining his 2nd half performance? I’m a Cubs fan and I’ve got zero faith that he’s close to this good again. Not to mention he’s a walking injury waiting to happen.

      Reply
  15. bush1

    3 years ago

    Another Capt. Obvious article of course he won’t opt out. I doubt he’d get close to half that on the open market.

    Reply
  16. gregstruth89

    3 years ago

    This just in……. Yu dervish is not an idiot. Can’t say the same about the guy who gave him that contract

    Reply
  17. angt222

    3 years ago

    With the way he’s pitched, it’s a wise move.

    Reply
  18. angt222

    3 years ago

    With the way he’s pitched, it’s a wise move.

    Reply
  19. angt222

    3 years ago

    Not a bad idea considering how bad he’s pitched.

    Reply

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