Edwin Encarnacion is still the most coveted hitter on the free-agent market.

While he's been linked to a number of teams, one in particular has emerged as the favorite.

Rival clubs believe the pending free agency of right-hander Yu Darvish is reason to believe the Texas Rangers will step up for Encarnacion, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.

With Mitch Moreland out of the picture, the Rangers need a first baseman. Texas would likely prefer to keep Encarnacion at the designated hitter slot, so Jurickson Profar or Joey Gallo could fill the first-base role.

The Rangers also lost Carlos Beltran and Ian Desmond to free agency, which will hurt the team's run production.

Last season, the 33-year-old Encarnacion slashed .263/.357/.529 with 42 homers and 127 RBIs.