Milwaukee Brewers still ‘very much in the mix’ for Yu Darvish, per report

Despite recent reports that free agent pitcher Yu Darvish wants to return to the Los Angeles Dodgers, the rumors linking the ace to the Milwaukee Brewers don’t seem to be going away.

Robert Murray of Fanrag Sports (with additional reporting from Jon Heyman) says the Brewers are still “very much in the mix” for Darvish’s services. The report also indicates the Brewers have been among the most “aggressive” of the potential suitors for the All-Star.

Darvish himself seemed to confirm a report the Brewers made a formal offer the other week, depending on how you choose to interpret the thinking-face emoji.

In addition to the Dodgers, Darvish has indicated he wouldn’t mind a return to Texas -- where he still owns his home from his time with the Rangers. He’s also been heavily linked to the Chicago Cubs.

As Kyle noted in his latest payroll update, Milwaukee’s Opening Day payroll is now pushing $90 million after the signings of Lorenzo Cain and Matt Albers and the trade for Christian Yelich. Despite that, owner Mark Attanasio told fans at On Deck on Sunday that he’d still be willing to spend to bring in a starting pitcher to help put the team over the top, whether that’s through free agency or a trade. The local beat reporters also came away from the event with the impression that the team wasn’t done.

The Fanrag Sports report makes it clear that no deal is imminent. It’s entirely within the realm of possibility that the Darvish camp is using the Brewers offer (and leaking this news) as a way to drive up interest in the free agent market, or to get the Cubs, Dodgers or Rangers to up their offer.

Still, the possibility is fun to think about, isn’t it?