Yu Darvish was never in play

Yu Darvish signed with the Cubbies yesterday, and good riddance to that boatload of crapola, which doubles as the "hot stove league rumor mill," which at times suggested the Yankees might snag him. It was never going to happen. Anyone could see it. Hal Steinbrenner was never going to spend beyond the salary cap - (technically, it's called a "tax threshold") - or break ranks with his monopoly cartel co-conspirators - (technically, they're called "owners.") 

So Yu II is now a Cub for six years, until age 37, and let's hope his little speed bump in the NL post-season was due to tipping pitches - yeah, that's the ticket; otherwise, the Wrigley fan base just obtained the NL version of David Price. Did anybody really think the Yankees were in on this auction? Ken Rosenthal is now reporting that the Empire never made an actual offer. That makes sense. The notion that we were going to scrap our fiscal future for a big ticket payout always looked crazy, though I guess some leaders have come to like the idea of deficits and hot checks. 

It's almost time for Cooperstown Cashman to spend his $7 million in bottle/can deposits on somebody - anybody - so the 2018 team can come into focus. I'm betting on middling pitcher, some guy pushing 30, who barely touches 90 on the gun, but who can throw five innings and give up three runs... because we can win that game. Don't know who, and whether Cash will sign somebody outright or sprinkle a prospect - (wither goest Jake Cave?) - into the deal. Last year, we signed Chris Carter, the reining NL HR leader, for peanuts. Somepin gonna happen. 

But not with Jacoby Ellsbury. Increasingly, it looks like nobody will take Jake's contract, unless we pay out 70-80 percent - maybe $17 mill of the $22 mill per season. Even then, Ellsbury must sign off, and he's given no indication of doing so. So, it's another Kate Upton-in-the-elevator fantasy. But the logjam is breaking. Today or tomorrow, JD Martinez is going to probably sign with Boston (unless they have pissed him off so badly that he refuses) - and the games will begin. It's finally happening. The 2018 season is taking shape.