The Rangers are reported to have bid $51.7 million for the rights to work out a deal with Yu Darvish.
With many national media members speculating that the Toronto Blue Jays had submitted the winning bid to secure negotiating rights with Japanese right-hander Yu Darvish, the Rangers were announced as the high bidders late Monday after submitting a posting fee of $51.7 million, according to reports.
Darvish’s current team, the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters of Japan’s Pacific League, had posted the 25-year-old pitcher earlier this month, and Major League Baseball clubs had until Dec. 14 to submit their silent bids.
A pensive weekend worth of waiting followed, and it was after 10 p.m. CST Monday night when MLB made the announcement that Texas’ record-setting bid – surpassing the $51.1 million paid by Boston for Daisuke Matsuzaka in 2006 – had been accepted by the Fighters.
“Our organization has scouted Mr. Darvish for the last several years,” the Rangers said in a press release, “and has been very impressed with his abilities and accomplishments. We believe he would be a great addition to the Texas Rangers pitching staff.”
Before that happens, however, Texas must work out a contract with Darvish and his agents, Don Nomura and Arn Tellem, within the 30-day window for negotiations. If a deal cannot be reached, the Rangers will not have to pay the $51.7 million posting fee.
Darvish has a career record of 76-28 across 126 starts for the Fighters, striking out more than 200 batters in four of his five seasons while fashioning a crisp 1.72 lifetime earned run average in the Japanese Pacific League.
Blanco, Chavez, German Find New Teams
Former Texas infielders Andres Blanco and Esteban German and outfielder Endy Chavez each signed on with new clubs within the last week, one heading to the Far East and the others heading to the Eastern Seaboard.
German, who had seen playing time at each of the four infield positions across 43 regular-season games with the Rangers since 2009, agreed to a deal with the Japanese Pacific League’s Seibu Lions on Wednesday.
Two days later, Blanco signed a minor-league contract with the Washington Nationals, and Chavez received a one-year deal from the Baltimore Orioles on Sunday.
Rangers Announce 40th Anniversary Plans
Details were made public Wednesday for upcoming giveaways, promotions and throwback uniforms to be worn in conjunction with the 40th anniversary of Major League Baseball coming to North Texas.
The Rangers’ franchise had begun as the Washington Senators, who played in the nation’s capital from 1961 to 1971 before moving to Arlington prior to the 1972 season.
In 2012, the team will don a 40th anniversary patch on the right sleeve of all home and away uniforms beginning in Spring Training. Texas players will also wear “Turn-Back-The-Clock” jerseys for four separate home games, each representing a different year in Rangers history:
–May 12 vs. Angels – 1974 white uniform
–Jun. 16 vs. Astros – 1986 white uniform
–Jul. 7 vs. Twins – 1994 white uniform
–Aug. 11 vs. Tigers – 1976 powder blue uniform
In addition, each of the team’s 81 home dates in 2012 will feature a different former Texas player delivering the official game ball to the mound.
Nate's Notes 
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