Report: Padres close to trade to acquire Yu Darvish from Cubs

The San Diego Padres appear to be closing in on acquiring their second Cy Young-caliber pitcher in as many days.

According to Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune, the Padres and Chicago Cubs are “all but done” with the framework of a trade that would send Yu Darvish to San Diego. While it’s not clear what the final deal would be, Acee reports that the Padres have accepted the package that the Cubs would require to complete the trade.

Darvish is the 2020 runner-up for the NL Cy Young Award, having gone 8-3 with a 2.01 ERA and 93 strikeouts in 76 innings. Rumors of a trade have lingered for a few days, with the Padres popping up as the most likely destination on Monday.

The Padres have already added one ace via trade since Christmas. It appears they’re very serious about trying to challenge the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2021.