It’s not the first time a major league baseball team looked to Japan for pitching help, but this could well be the biggest signing yet. Texas, World Series runner-ups two straight years, signed 25-year-old Yu Darvish to a $60 million, six-year deal.
Darvish, considered Japan’s best pitcher, came to an agreement Wednesday just before the end of a 30-day negotiating window.
Had the deal not been reached, Darvish would have returned to the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters of Japan’s Pacific League. And the Rangers would have kept the record $51.7 million posting fee that was required for the exclusive rights to negotiate with Darvish.
Darvish had a 93-38 record with a 1.99 ERA the past seven seasons in Japan. The 6-foot-5 right-hander was a two-time Pacific League MVP and a five-time All-Star.
The Rangers were rated 8-1 by the LVH SuperBook to win the 2012 World Series, the same odds as Boston and just behind the Philadelphia Phillies (5-1) and New York Yankees (4-1). The world champion St. Louis Cardinals are 20-1 to repeat, mainly because Albert Pujols was lost in free agency to the Los Angeles Angels.
The Rangers hope Darvish could fill the spot left open when ace lefty CJ Wilson also opted to sign with the Angels.
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