Darvish reports were way off base

When reports surfaced Saturday that the Chicago Cubs had reached agreement with free-agent pitcher Yu Darvish on a six-year, $126 million contract, there was angst on two fronts from Milwaukee Brewers fans.

The first stemmed from reports that the Brewers were heavily in on Darvish, to the tune of a nine-figure offer. The second came from the fact he instead went to the dreaded Cubs, making the NL Central rival even more potent.

I can’t help you with Part II of that angst but Part I likely was misplaced. Later that night, I began hearing the Brewers’ involvement with Darvish was greatly exaggerated.

Brewers general manager David Stearns steadfastly declined to confirm reports that he made a serious offer to Darvish, 31, considered the top pitcher on the market. That’s the way he operates, in total secrecy, no matter how rampant or ill-informed rumors are about what he’s up to.

When I reached out via text to Stearns for comment, perhaps he was giving me a huge hint with his first words: “Don’t have much to comment on.”

Was he hinting that he never put in an offer on Darvish? The more I thought about it, the more I thought so.

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, who broke the news of the agreement, seems to have gotten the same feeling from someone he spoke to, because he later wrote: “The Brewers’ offer to Darvish was not as competitive as reports indicated, one source said; their presence in the negotiations might have been more of a ploy to jack up the price for the Cubs.”

This is not to say the Brewers had no interest in Darvish. Stearns has shown he will consider every option in trying to improve his club. Perhaps he did float an informal proposal about what he might be willing to do. But that’s not the same as offering $100 million or more.

Who would leak incorrect information about the actual level of the Brewers’ interest in Darvish? It certainly wasn’t the Brewers, so it could have come from Darvish’s representatives or as hearsay from another club involved in the process. Only those who reported the offer know.

In this well-documented glacial market, desperation has been palpable from the player side. Agents, the players union and the commissioner’s office have done much public sniping at each other, with the insinuation that collusion is leading to the freeze-out of top free agents.

When you look at it, other than the Cubs, where exactly was the market for Darvish, who at the outset of the offseason was believed to be seeking six years for more than $150 million? The Minnesota Twins were reported to have made an offer, but for less years and money than Chicago’s final bid.

But where were the other offers? Darvish was thought to be seeking a return to Texas, where he played for five-plus years before being traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers last season for the playoff push. But, as it turns out, the Rangers never seriously pursued a reunion with Darvish.

Darvish also was reported to have interest in returning to the Dodgers. They had reciprocal interest but could not match the Cubs’ offer because of their well-stated desire to remain below MLB’s $197 million luxury tax threshold. The New York Yankees were unable to make a serious bid for Darvish for the same reason.

So, assuming the Brewers did not make the rumored $100 million offer, was the serious action between only the Twins and Cubs? Was there a mystery team involved?

Were the Cubs actually bidding against themselves at the end, adding a sixth year and more money to seal the deal? It wouldn’t be the first time that happened involving a premier free agent (see Texas and Alex Rodriguez).

Why wouldn’t Stearns step forward and shoot down his rumored offer to Darvish, you ask? First of all, it’s not his job to deny every report about his interest in a certain player or players. And, as Rosenthal surmised, if it helped raise the price for the Cubs, all the better, though they certainly have plenty of cash to throw around.

Immediately after reports surfaced of Darvish’s deal with the Cubs, speculation began about what the Brewers might do to counter. Some wondered if they would “pivot” to the other top freeagent pitcher, Jake Arrieta, the former Chicago ace now considered the best pitcher available.

But, if the Brewers didn’t make a strong offer for Darvish, I wouldn’t hold my breath on them jumping in on Arrieta, who also is 31 and seeking an even bigger deal. He is represented by Scott Boras, the most powerful agent in the game who has shown a willingness to wait as long as it takes to get top dollar.

Twice in the past week or so, Stearns has told me he is “comfortable with our group” and willing to go forward with what he has on hand. But he also has shown he will jump on the right opportunity and has explored a trade market that could include Tampa Bay’s Jake Odorizzi, Arizona’s Patrick Corbin, Detroit’s Michael Fulmer and Oakland’s Jharel Cotton.

It’s not going to be easy to compete with a Cubs rotation that now figures to include Jon Lester, Kyle Hendricks, Darvish, Jose Quintana and Tyler Chatwood, so Stearns might feel compelled to add another arm at some point before opening day.

But Darvish was never going to wear a Brewers uniform.