Texas Rangers rumors: Yu Darvish wants to stay in Texas?

Texas Rangers rumors: Yu Darvish is a free agent at the end of this season, and the Rangers’ slow start has already gotten fans and media members talking about what sort of package Yu might bring in return at the trade deadline, conceding both the season as a lost cause and the possibility of re-signing Yu as unrealistic.

However, our friend Tepid tweeted today that “for the second time since March,” he’s heard from a member of another team’s front office that Yu “doesn’t want to leave Texas.” That’s consistent with reports we heard over the winter and during spring training, when there was talk about a possible Darvish extension, that Yu is happy here.

At the end of the day it will probably come down to money, and one would think that Yu is going to likely sign with whoever offers him the most. But if the money is similar, maybe the idea of staying with the only team he’s pitched for in the U.S. -- a team that has actually drawn criticism from at least one local writer for letting Yu “do whatever he wants” — would make the difference.

Yu is likely looking at 5-7 years at close to $30M per year, so it isn’t as if you can say, well, maybe he’ll do a hometown discount of 4/$100M. Its going to be expensive no matter what, and if the Rangers do sign him, there will no doubt be whining about how much it costs and how we’re going to regret it in the final few years.

But at this point, I anticipate the Rangers will at least reach out to his people around the All Star Break — especially if the team is out of contention, and weighing whether to sell. And whether he stays or is traded the summer, I expect the Rangers to make an effort to have him back in Texas come 2018.