Cubs Over-paid For Darvish

The Chicago Cubs made the big splash last weekend with the signing of free agent pitcher Yu Darvish to a six year, $126 million contract.

Better them than us, Milwaukee Brewer fans.

That's too long a contract, and maybe too much money, for a 31-year-old pitcher. Granted, he eats innings. But in the long run, the last three or four years of that contract will be a financial albatross for the Cubs. The names Kyle Lohse, Randy Wolf and Matt Garza come to mind in Milwaukee: long-term contracts for older pitchers that, while they may have worked for a season or so, eventually caught up to the club. Or, going farther back, Teddy Higuera. He signed a long-term deal and promptly had a career-ending injury, with Milwaukee on the hook.

After  moves acquiring Christian Yelich and Lorenzo Cain, I don't think the Brewers are done. Yes, pitchers and catchers report this week -- the BEST week of the year, I might add -- but there are still some moves to make.

The Brewers are still looking to find another starting pitcher. No need to over-pay. The three that come to mind are Jake Arrieta (30), Lance Lynn (31) and Alex Cobb (30). All have had health issues, with Lynn and Cobb coming off Tommy John surgery. (By the way, doesn't Tommy John belong in the Hall of Fame for his game-breaking surgery? Just sayin')

If they sign one of the three, the Brewers would be wise to make it a short-term, incentive-laden deal.

Milwaukee may also be looking to shore up second base, but switch-hitting Neal Walker is a free agent and may sign at a reasonable cost. I have nearly given up on Jonathan Villar. He had a solid, break-out season in 2016 and fell back last year. Villar is a boneheaded liability on the base paths who doesn't seem to learn from his mistakes OR from Manager Craig Counsell.