Yu Darvish missed all or part of the past three seasons due to elbow problems, but he's back and pitching like an ace. He's striking out more than a batter per inning and posting an ERA under 3.00. He's using his incredibly vast repertoire that features four pitches on a regular basis: four- and two-seam fastballs, cutters and sliders. But he goes as deep as six or even eight pitches if the situation calls for it, with changeups, splitters and a couple of different curveballs. And since Darvish came into the league in 2012, there are just five pitchers who have more innings, a better ERA and a better FIP than he does: Clayton Kershaw, Max Scherzer, Chris Sale, David Price and Madison Bumgarner.
This summer, Darvish could become the best pitcher available in a trade -- a true ace who could push a team to the playoffs, start a wild-card game or match up with any pitcher to start a playoff series. But he's also a free agent at season's end, which makes him a stretch-drive rental for teams that might try to trade for him.
Let's take a look at the teams that could need Darvish the most the rest of the way -- including his current team, the Texas Rangers.
Texas Rangers: Darvish's best fit might just be his current team. After a really rough start, the Rangers have rebounded back to above .500 and put themselves in the discussion for a playoff spot. If the Rangers have any shot at October, Darvish is going to be a big part of that.
But there are several complications. The first is the first-place Houston Astros. The Rangers' cross-state rivals have jumped out to a huge lead and have the edge in talent, and there is already talk of Houston bolstering its roster further. While the division isn't necessarily out of reach for Texas, after the Astros' hot start, it's about as close as it could be near the end of May.