Tuesday was the deadline for the Milwaukee Brewers to reach a contract agreement with posted Japanese outfielder Norichika Aoki. The Brewers and Aoki reached an agreement shortly before time was up.
Wednesday is the deadline for the Texas Rangers to reach a contract agreement with posted Japanese starting pitcher Yu Darvish. The Rangers and Darvish will almost certainly reach an agreement shortly before time is up.
From Jon Heyman:
Starting pitcher Yu Darvish will sign with the Texas Rangers before the 5:00 p.m. ET deadline, sources have told CBSSports.com insider Jon Heyman. The deal is likely to be for six years, Heyman has also learned. The Rangers paid a reported $51.7 million simply for the right to negotiate with Darvish.
Obvious. This is all obvious. It was always going to happen this way. We don't yet know for how much Darvish will sign, but we knew he was going to sign, and that he was going to sign at the last possible moment. Leverage and everything.
Recently, Darvish was said to be seeking a five-year contract. Heyman says the Rangers are going to sign him to a six-year contract. Darvish wanted to reach free agency a little sooner, but evidently the Texa$ Ranger$ have found a mean$ of making him change hi$ mind.
Just what signing Darvish will do to the Rangers' status in the Prince Fielder sweepstakes, I can't be sure. So I don't know why I'm writing this.