Cubs sign Yu Darvish

We have been waiting... and waiting... and patiently waiting.

I’ve posted almost three weeks here of the Daily Darvish, both for a bit of fun and to keep up with all the rumors and talk about Yu Darvish and where he would finally end up.

Fortunately for us, that destination is now the Chicago Cubs:

This contract seems eminently reasonable and will help keep the Cubs fulfill their stated desire to stay under the luxury tax payroll limit of $197 million for 2018. It’s quite similar to the six-year, $155 million deal Jon Lester signed three years ago.

For the team, this gives them one of the best rotations in baseball. Add Darvish to Lester, Jose Quintana, Kyle Hendricks and Tyler Chatwood, and if all of them can pitch up to their best level, this might even be the best starting rotation in the major leagues.

Theo Epstein & Co. don’t make moves specifically to counter other teams, but this signing, coming just one day after the Brewers upgraded their offense with the acquisition by trade of Christian Yelich and the signing of Lorenzo Cain, certainly means the Cubs and Brewers will be fighting it out for the N.L. Central title in 2018, just as they did last year. (And don’t count the improved Cardinals out of this race, either.)

I’ll have more on this signing later, but for now, I give it a big thumbs-up — and happily retire the Daily Darvish series.