Former Chicago Cubs pitcher Yu Darvish, who now pitches for the San Diego Padres, and his wife, Seiko, on Monday placed their five-bedroom, 5,865-square-foot house on Lake Michigan in Evanston on the market for $5.75 million.
A Japanese native, Darvish, 36, was a high-profile free agent when he signed a six-year, $126 million deal with the Cubs in 2018. He was beset by injuries in his first season but threw well in 2019 and 2020, and the team then traded him to San Diego at the end of 2020.
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In Evanston, Darvish and his wife paid $4.55 million in May 2018 for the vintage house, which has more than 150 feet of frontage on Lake Michigan, and for an adjoining and vacant, 0.2-acre parcel, for a total of a 0.55-acre property, all of which is included in this week’s listing.
The following year, a controversy arose after the couple was sued by a neighboring couple for installing a solid cedar fence that blocked the neighbors’ views of Lake Michigan. The couple suing the Darvishes claimed that the fence violated an accord reached when the Darvishes’ neighbors agreed not to object to a proposal for a 6-foot fence, provided that it was a wrought iron fence.
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The two parties settled the matter in October 2020.
Built in 1904, the Darvishes’ house has four full bathrooms, two half-bathrooms, two fireplaces, large picture windows on the first floor that allow for lake views, and a new kitchen with an oversized island with quartzite waterfall countertops, custom wood cabinets, a large pantry and Sub-Zero, Wolf and Miele appliances. The house also has a newly finished basement with recreation and workout rooms, and a primary bedroom suite with a dressing area and a new primary bathroom with 280-degree views.
Outside on the 0.55-acre property are a wraparound deck, the only deep-water dock in Evanston and an additional outdoor patio by the dock.
Listing agent Jackie Mack declined to comment on the listing.
The lot the Darvishes’ house is on had a $52,721 property tax bill in the 2020 tax year. Their adjoining vacant parcel had a $3,653 property tax bill in the 2020 tax year.
Goldsborough is a freelance reporter.
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