Yu Darvish, SP
UPDATE: Yu Darvish has been traded to the San Diego Padres
The big name that’s been making rounds on the “hot stove” as of late, Yu Darvish is coming off a pretty magical 2020 season. Despite a shaky first two seasons with Chicago, Darvish really came into his own this past year. The right-hander won a MLB leading eight games, and finished the year with a 2.01 ERA. He placed second in the NL Cy Young voting – only finishing behind Trevor Bauer (who is set for a pretty big payday here soon).
Darvish is set to make $22 million in 2021, which is the main reason the Cubs appear to be open to moving him this winter. The San Diego Padres have emerged as a potential suitor, as they continue to push their chips all in on their Machado/Tatis Jr. core.
For the Phillies, their starting rotation is actually one of their strengths. Aaron Nola, Zack Wheeler, and Zach Eflin is a pretty commanding trio at the top, and Spencer Howard projects to take a step forward this year.
With that said, adding an elite fifth starter to the roster would arguably vault the team back into the postseason. It wouldn’t come for a cheap price (considering how good Darvish’s 2020 was), but it’s the type of move that Dombrowski would absolutely love to make.