Perhaps one more reason that convinced the Chicago Cubs to sign Yu Darvish to a long-term deal is that they believe he will be a good teammate.
USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reports that the Cubs believe Darvish is more mature and a better teammate now compared to his early days with the Texas Rangers.
The #Cubs, who visited Yu Darvish a month ago, are convinced he has become much more mature and better teammate than his early days with #Rangers that drew criticism.
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) February 10, 2018
Darvish has never publicly been regarded as a malcontent, but there were some stories involving him, such as the suggestion he quit on the Rangers, which he refuted. He also has acknowledged shaking off his catcher, but that seems fairly minor.
Overall, the Cubs are getting one of the top pitchers in the game, and they’re getting him at a very reasonable price. Compared to the kind of contracts other pitchers have received, Darvish’s deal looks like a steal for Chicago.
