Trade of Yu Darvish bypasses potential advantage for Yankees
Yankees Trade Blake Snell to Padres, Pass on Yu Darvish
In a move that shook the baseball world, the New York Yankees have traded former ace Blake Snell to the San Diego Padres. Snell, who finished second in the NL Cy Young Award voting last season with an ERA of 2.01, a WHIP of 0.961, and 93 strikeouts in 76 innings, will bolster the Padres' rotation.
The Yankees, on the other hand, opted not to pursue a trade for Yu Darvish, despite their need for starting pitching to support Gerrit Cole. Darvish, who is owed $59 million over the next three seasons, struggled significantly in the 2025 season prior to the trade deadline. His inconsistent performance and recent injuries may have raised concerns about his immediate reliability and durability for a postseason race.
The Padres, who did not give up a top-10 prospect in either trade, acquired Darvish from the Chicago Cubs. In return, the Cubs received Zach Davies.
The future of Masahiro Tanaka's return to the Yankees' rotation is uncertain, as it is linked to the negotiations between the team and DJ LeMahieu, the AL batting champion. The ongoing negotiations may impact Tanaka's return and the team's starting pitching plans.
The Yankees, who might have been cautious about Darvish's salary due to financial losses from the COVID-19 pandemic, currently have Domingo German, Jordan Montgomery, Deivi Garcia, Michael King, and Clarke Schmidt in their rotation. James Paxton, JA Happ, Tanaka, and Luis Severino may leave the team in free agency.
Meanwhile, the Indian Wells tournament has been postponed due to COVID-19 concerns. In other news, the San Diego Padres have also made headlines by acquiring Yu Darvish.
Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
The San Diego Padres, with their recent acquisition of Yu Darvish, now boast a formidable starting rotation, including Darvish and Blake Snell, who was acquired from the New York Yankees. The Yankees, instead, chose to focus on other pitching options, perhaps due to Darvish's hefty salary or the uncertainty surrounding Masahiro Tanaka's return.
