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Report: Cubs asked Rangers about Darvish

Tim Heitman / Reuters

The Chicago Cubs don't seem to be finished after acquiring Jose Quintana from the Chicago White Sox, not by a long shot.

The team is already keeping tabs on Justin Verlander and other available arms, and now Texas Rangers righty Yu Darvish has entered the picture.

The Cubs have reportedly checked in with the Rangers about Darvish's availability, according to MLB.com's Jon Morosi.

At the All-Star break, both teams were teetering on the brink of playoff contention and have since traveled in opposite directions. Buoyed by Quintana's arrival and a more consistent offense, the Cubs have won six straight to kick off the second half. The Rangers, however, have hit the skids with five straight losses - including a four-game sweep at the hands of the Baltimore Orioles.

If the Cubs are successful in obtaining the ace, they would boast a fearsome rotation from top to bottom. Darvish would join Quintana, Jake Arrieta, Jon Lester, John Lackey, and eventually Kyle Hendricks. That's deep, though the price would indeed be steep.

The Rangers have fought the urge to put Darvish on the trade block for much of the season, instead hoping to re-sign him when he becomes a free agent after 2017. With the playoffs potentially slipping away, maybe they've changed their tune as the team is reportedly shopping him for the right offer, notes Yahoo Sports' Jeff Passan.

One thing that could prohibit a deal is Darvish's limited no-trade clause as he can block trades to the Cubs, Indians, Athletics, Orioles, Red Sox, Tigers, White Sox, Blue Jays, Pirates, and Rockies, according to SiriusXM's Jim Bowden.

Darvish has made 20 starts this season, posting a 6-8 record with a 3.45 ERA and 1.14 WHIP. It's not his best season, but he seems to have recovered from Tommy John surgery that kept him out of the entire 2015 campaign and a chunk of 2016.

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