The Cubs coveted Darvish after realizing more than one year ago that it was going to be virtually impossible to re-sign Jake Arrieta. Darvish’s 11.04 strikeout rate per nine innings — including a 10.69 rate after Tommy John surgery — convinced the Cubs he was worth a six-year, $126 million contract that includes an opt-out clause after his second season.

The Cubs believe they can help Darvish, 31, maximize use of his six-plus pitches and not limit his repertoire as many say the Dodgers did during his second-half stint with them.

Darvish has been under the microscope since leaving his native Japan in 2011 after posting a 93-38 record and 1.99 ERA in seven seasons for the Nippon Ham Fighters of the Pacific League.

In one of his first moves with the Cubs, President Theo Epstein submitted a bid of around 12 million. But the Rangers earned his rights with a $51.7 million posting fee, and then signed him to a six-year, $60 million contract.

With about 100 Japanese media members following him, Darvish didn’t disappoint in his first season with the Rangers by winning 16 games. Darvish lost to the Orioles in the 2012 American League wild-card game but rebounded in 2013 by striking out 277 in 2092/3 innings and finishing second in the AL Cy Young Award voting.

In one of the first major moves of a pitching-heavy offseason, the Cubs signed Chatwood to a three-year, $38 million contract.

The Cubs clearly are banking that the confines of Wrigley Field will be friendly to Chatwood, who had a 5.17 ERA in 53 games at Coors Field since 2012 but posted a 3.18 road mark.

Chatwood and Stephen Strasburg of the Nationals have the second-lowest road ERA (2.57) over the last two seasons. Chatwood, 28, is 2-0 with an 0.69 ERA in two career games at Wrigley.

Chatwood appears shorter than his 6-foot frame, but his body can generate a fastball clocked as fast as 96 mph. The biggest issue for Chatwood will be throwing all his pitches for strikes on the first pitch — which he struggled with last season.

Chicago was one of Chatwood’s preferred destinations once he became a free agent last winter, and the Cubs scouting and analytics departments impressed him immediately in showing him how much and how they think he can improve.

Eleven years after earning the closer’s duties with the Mariners, Morrow has regained that role with the Cubs after signing a two-year, $21 million contract that includes an option for 2020.

Morrow complements a 97 mph fastball with a slider that possesses a devastating slope, and he exposed the weakness of several Cubs batters in the NLCS with a high fastball. That was the punctuation mark to a remarkable turnaround by Morrow, who spent the first two months at Triple-A Oklahoma City. Morrow struck out 50 while not allowing a home run in 432/3 innings covering 46 appearances. Morrow limited left-handed batters to a .125 batting average.

Durability could be a factor for Morrow, who hasn’t appeared in more than 45 games in a major-league season since 2006 because of various injuries and four seasons (2010-13) in a starting role.

Morrow was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes during his senior season of high school and he wears a monitor.

—Mark Gonzales