Yu Darvish stirring the Hot Stove pot, are the Atlanta Braves in the mix?

Darvish making a splash in the where there are no current waves

Do you know what a slow MLB offseason hot stove needs?  One of the top free agents stirring the pot!  Could the Atlanta Braves be in the mix to the star pitcher?  Ha, I’ll laugh at my own joke.

Anything is possible, I guess, in this insanely slow offseason.  We’re almost 30 days away from pitchers and catchers reporting to Spring Training camp and a lot of big names are still free agents.    Braves new GM Alex Anthopoulos may be interested in pulling out his checkbook.

It sounds as though Darvish has narrowed down the list of potential landing spots for the 2018 season.  The Rangers, Yankees, Cubs, Astros and Twins are the rumored teams to be “in” on the right-handed pitcher.

BUT, Yu himself is proclaiming there’s “one more team” in the mix to land potentially the top free agent pitcher still left out there.

Many sources have tweeted out the five teams listed above, but Darvish decided to respond to just one…Sporting News Max Wildstein.  Yu not only tweeted at him once, but twice!  The second tweet has us talking tonight.

And then this Wednesday night bombshell to stir that pot!  The hot stove is heating up and it’s all because of you!!  Not you, sorry Yu!!

In 2017, Darvish finished the season with a 3.86 ERA and 209 strikeouts.  He made his fourth All-Star game in five seasons as a MLB pro…the only two seasons he didn’t make it was in 2015 after he missed the entire year after Tommy John surgery and 2016 when he had his neck and shoulder issues.

The list of team makes pretty good sense.  All playoff teams, except for Darvish’s former team the Rangers, that are rumored to be looking for starting pitching.

The 6’5″ 196-pounder is 31-years-old right now, but will be 32-years-old in August, 2018.  When he’s healthy, he’s one of the best, but has had injury issues the past three years.

Okay, I was kinda joking about the Braves.  Is it possible the Braves sign Darvish?  Anything is possible, but I highly HIGHLY doubt it.

One reason is because the Braves potentially have a solid starting five — and depending on how the young pitchers throw in Spring Training, more than five.  Another reason, Darvish will cost a lot of money.

Teams are probably offering him like a six-year deal that’s in the $150 million range.  The injuries and the age is kinda a turnoff for me as well.  Would love to have a talented guy like Darvish in a Braves uniform, but he won’t be.

Most likely the other team Darvish is talking about is the Dodgers.

Next: Braves' Payroll Update, post-Dodgers deal

Mets get their man back

In other NL East news.  The Mets signed outfielder Jay Bruce.  Pending a physical the 30-year-old will receive a three-year, $39 million contract.

Bryan Hoch of MLB.com is saying the Mets will plan to use Bruce as a first baseman instead of his normal right fielding spot.  That’s because of Dominic Smith.

Bruce was traded from the Reds to the Mets in 2016 and played there until he was traded to Indians in August of 2017.  With the Mets, he slashed .245/.313/.482 split line with 37 homers and 94 RBIs in the 153 games he played in.