Texas Rangers rumors: The Dodgers' interest in Yu Darvish grows stronger

The MLB trade deadline is now less than a week away, and the Texas Rangers rumors surrounding Yu Darvish get louder as more stories break.

The rumors continue to surface and the offers get bigger for the Texas Rangers and their asking price for right-hander Yu Darvish. News broke Monday afternoon that Los Angeles Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw may miss the next four to six weeks, per MLB.com’s Joe Trezza.

Why the Dodgers need Darvish

The Dodgers lead the National League west by 11 1/2 games, but the loss of Kershaw is huge for a team like them. Guys like him don’t exactly come along every day, which is why they need someone of Darvish’s caliber to step in on his behalf. Plus, assuming Kershaw recovers, the duo would combine for a very fearsome playoff one-two punch.

Los Angeles could make do for the final two months of the season without Kershaw. They might even make it without an ace. But what about the possibility that he can’t make it back by October? The Dodgers would take a massive risk by not replacing him. With him, they’re a favorite to go to the World Series and even win it with Kershaw and Alex Wood. But if they can only rely on Wood, they’re likely done for in the first round.

Now, if they end up with Kershaw, Wood and Darvish then they’re nearly unstoppable. That’s why they’re the perfect suitors for Darvish. This also means they may go higher in their offerings than other clubs.

What the Rangers could get for Darvish

The Dodgers have a good farm system that’s pretty well-stocked. With Kershaw and Wood at the top of their MLB rotation, they have some wiggle room and the ability to rent a guy like Yu. This also makes their minor league arms a little more expendable.

Walker Buehler

According to John Paul Morosi, the Dodgers are least-willing to part with right-hander Walker Buehler. This may not necessarily mean everyone else is fair game, but Morosi does go on to say that Texas wants at least two of L.A.’s top prospects in return for Darvish. It shouldn’t stop the Rangers from asking for him, though. Go big or go home, right?

But the fact that the Dodgers want to hang onto him doesn’t make him their best prospect. There’s a pitcher within the L.A. system that might fit the Rangers even better.

Yadier Alvarez

The next-most-appealing player the Rangers will ask for is probably Yadier Alvarez. The scouts over at MLB.com think pretty highly of him, ranking him 38th among all MLB prospects. He has an extremely hot fastball that tops in the upper-90s and he’s even been known to hit triple digits.

He’s still a bit raw and needs a lot of polish before taking to the big leagues. Yet, even with decent command he could pitch at the front end of most rotations with that arm. If the Rangers could swing him into a deal for Darvish, it would certainly be a winning trade.

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Alex Verdugo

The Texas Rangers front office will likely ask for center fielder Alex Verdugo as well. While Carlos Gomez and Delino DeShields Jr. have been serviceable, a prospect like Verdugo would be a huge “get” for Texas.

He has a very good bat and recognizes pitches well. While he has played center field for most of his pro career, he’s not a very speedy outfielder. Scouts rate his arm highly though, making him a candidate to move into right field. A right fielder with a great arm that gets on base frequently would fit very nicely into future Rangers lineups.

Next: Should the Rangers rebuild or not?

If general manager Jon Daniels and company insist on trading away Darvish, guys like Buehler, Alvarez and Verdugo should set the bar for their expectations. Plenty of other talent waits within the Dodgers organization, but these guys are the cream of the crop in talent. If Texas could land two of these guys in exchange for Darvish, then they’ve done a remarkable job.

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Texas Rangers Rumors: Dodgers interest in Yu Darvish stronger

By Stephen Francis | Jul 25, 2017