NEW YORK -- Hours after stating that the Yankees had not made him a contract offer, free-agent right-hander Yu Darvish issued a clarification on Twitter, stating that he indeed has discussed financial terms with the ballclub.
"Sorry guys. My mistake," Darvish wrote. "Actually they did make [an] offer, but the numbers are not correct."
However, a source told MLB.com late Friday that the Yankees had still not made an offer to Darvish.
The "numbers" that Darvish referred to stemmed from a report by Michael Kay, who said on his ESPN radio show that Darvish received a seven-year, $160 million offer from the Yankees, but that it was withdrawn after it was not accepted in 48 hours. That also is not accurate, according to a source.
What is known at this time is that Darvish has placed the Yankees on his short list of potential destinations, and general manager Brian Cashman confirmed Thursday that the team has spoken with the pitcher's representative.
The 31-year-old is also being pursued by the Astros, Cubs, Rangers and Twins, as well as a mystery team that is believed to be the Dodgers.
The pitcher has been playfully teasing his situation on Twitter for days, confirming a Fort Worth Star-Telegram report on Wednesday evening by saying, "I know one more team is in."
The Yankees would like to add another starter to their current rotation of Luis Severino, Masahiro Tanaka, Sonny Gray, Carsten Sabathia and Jordan Montgomery. Cashman confirmed Thursday that he has spoken to Darvish's agent, Joel Wolfe.
"Do we recognize Yu Darvish as a unique talent and a premier starting pitcher available in this marketplace? The answer to that question is yes," Cashman said during an in-studio appearance on WFAN. "Would we be, in the end, one of the last teams standing? I can't answer on that."
Darvish was 10-12 with a 3.86 ERA in 31 starts for the Rangers and Dodgers in 2017, going 4-3 with a 3.44 ERA for Los Angeles. He pitched well against the D-backs and Cubs in the first two rounds of the postseason, but was hit hard by the Astros in the World Series, going 0-2 with a 21.60 ERA in two starts.
"He's obviously a tremendous pitcher," Cashman said.
Darvish's situation is complicated by the Yankees' mandate to keep payroll below the $197 million luxury-tax threshold in 2018, resetting their penalty rate. Adding Darvish could require off-loading salary in a separate trade, as they did last month by shipping third baseman Chase Headley to the Padres.
"I would have to create more financial room so we do not trip up that luxury tax when the dust settles at the end of this year, unless ownership changes their mind on that," Cashman said.