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Padres trade for Yu Darvish

National League Wild Card Game 2: Miami Marlins v. Chicago Cubs Photo by Nuccio DiNuzzo/MLB Photos via Getty Images

It would be a good day to be a Padres fan.

The Cubs sent Yu Darvish and his favored catcher Victor Caratini, plus a ‘minor portion’ of the $59 million left on his contract to San Diego.

In return, the Cubs are getting right-handed pitcher Zach Davies, shortstops, Reginald Preciado and Yeison Santana, outfielders Owen Caissie and Ismael Mena.

Davis turns 28 on January 7th. He’s pitched 6 seasons in the MLB, 5 with the Brewers, and the last one with the Padres. Career, he has a 50-36 record and a 3.79 ERA in 123 starts. He has 9.8 bWAR in that time. In 2020 he had a 2.73 ERA in 12 starts, with 63 strikeouts and 19 walks in 69 innings. He’s a free agent after this season.

The others going to the Cubs haven’t had much professional playing time. Caissie is from Burlington, Ontario. He was a second-round pick in 2020. He’s just 18.

Preciado is just 17. Baseball America had him 23rd in the Padres system in their mid-season update.

The others:

They are all a long way from the majors.

It seems a light return for Darvish, but then he’s 34, and he is owed $59 million over the next three years. And he hasn’t exactly been the model of consistency or health in his 8-year MLB career (well 9 really, he missed all of 2015 after Tommy John surgery). In those 8 seasons, he’s made 30 starts 3 times.

2020 went very well for him, 2.01 ERA and 8 wins, finishing 2nd in Cy Young voting.