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Yu Darvish

AL Central Notes: Cespedes, Darvish, Twins

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The White Sox agreed to sign John Danks to a five-year, $65MM extension yesterday. MLBTR has you covered if you’re wondering what the deal means for similar pitchers, trade candidates and Danks himself. Here are more details from around the AL Central…

  • The White Sox may be “in strong” on Yoenis Cespedes, reports Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com. One White Sox person forcefully told Knobler "we are not rebuilding," despite Kenny Williams' statements to the contrary.
  • Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski confirmed to James Schmehl of MLive.com that the team didn't submit a bid on Yu Darvish.
  • The Twins, who announced a one-year, $3MM deal with Jason Marquis today, likely have $1-2MM remaining for a relief pitcher, tweets Phil Mackey of 1500 ESPN.

Rangers Won Darvish Bidding Easily

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The Rangers won the rights to Japanese right-hander Yu Darvish with a $51.7MM bid this week and though the Toronto Star reported yesterday that the Blue Jays weren't far behind, reports today indicate the Rangers outbid rival teams by a significant margin.

Jeff Blair said this morning on Sportsnet 590 the FAN that the Blue Jays "did not bid $50MM, as the Toronto Star is reporting. That's totally, absolutely false and inaccurate" (hat tip Drunk Jays Fans). Buster Olney of ESPN.com believes the Blue Jays were in, but not close and suggests “nobody, including Toronto, was within country miles” of the Rangers’ bid (Twitter links). Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com agrees that no one else was close. The Rangers easily out-bid the Blue Jays and the Yankees bid in the $15-17MM range, according to Heyman.

Darvish posted a 1.44 ERA with 10.7 K/9 and 1.4 BB/9 in 232 innings this past season and he hasn't posted an ERA above 2.00 since 2007. The Rangers have until January 18th to work out a deal with him. If the sides don't agree to a deal by next month's deadline, Darvish will stay in Japan and the Nippon Ham Fighters won't obtain any cash from the Rangers.

Blue Jays Bid $50MM For Darvish

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The Blue Jays bid over $50MM for Yu Darvish, falling just short of the Rangers' $51.7MM bid, according to Richard Griffin of the Toronto Star. Here's the latest on the Blue Jays’ division, starting with a right-hander who spent three up-and-down seasons in Toronto… 

  • Several teams are kicking the tires on acquiring A.J. Burnett, but the Yankees will have to absorb significant salary to make a deal and Burnett can veto trades to ten teams per year, according to George A. King III of the New York Post.
  • The Yankees bid less than $20MM for Darvish, according to Andrew Marchand of ESPNNewYork.com.
  • Orioles GM Dan Duquette explains the team's shrinking pro scouting department to MLB.com's Brittany Ghiroli. "In an effort to make an impact on the franchise, I can argue that the scouts are most valuable to a team at the amateur level,” Duquette said. “They can have a bigger impact on this organization.”
  • Former Rays catcher Toby Hall has decided to retire, according to Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times. The 36-year-old spent seven seasons with the Rays and last played in the Major Leagues in 2008. 
  • Dan Hayes of the North County Times hears the Rays are one of the teams that has asked the Padres about Anthony Rizzo (Twitter link). However, the Padres, who have been flooded with interest, aren't matching up that well with the Rays at this point, according to Jim Bowden of MLB Network Radio and ESPN.com (on Twitter).
  • MLB executives expect Gio Gonzalez to be traded relatively soon now that Darvish is no longer available, according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (on Twitter). The Red Sox are among Gonzalez’s suitors.

Hiroki Kuroda May Be Nearing Deal

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Yahoo’s Tim Brown heard yesterday that Hiroki Kuroda was close to agreeing to a new contract. However, it’s not clear which team is nearing a deal with the right-hander. Here are the details and more of Brown’s links from around MLB:

  • The Mariners, Diamondbacks, Rockies, Rangers, Red Sox and Yankees were among the teams that informed Brown they were not the team nearing a deal with Kuroda.
  • The Dodgers didn’t scout Yoenis Cespedes in earnest or consider bidding on Yu Darvish, Brown reports. It cost the Rangers $51.7MM for the rights to negotiate with Darvish and Cespedes figures to cost tens of millions as well, so the players are too expensive for the cash-strapped Dodgers to consider.
  • Carlos Beltran figures to agree to terms by Sunday. His market includes the Cardinals, Blue Jays, Red Sox and a fourth team, possibly the Rays. Beltran is weighing two and three-year offers, Brown reports.

Yu Darvish Bidding Reactions

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The Rangers won the bidding for Japanese right-hander Yu Darvish last night and while the $51.7MM bid doesn't assure Texas of Darvish himself, it does mean we're in for 30 days of negotiations between the team and agent Arn Tellem. Here are some reactions to the news from around MLB:

  • Darvish celebrated the announcement that the Rangers had made a record bid for the right to discuss a contract with him by working out, Yahoo's Jeff Passan writes.
  • GM Jon Daniels acknowledged last night that the deal will have an impact on other moves the team makes, but says the Angels’ aggressive moves did not affect Texas’ approach to Darvish (Twitter links via Anthony Andro of FOXSportsSouthwest.com).
  • Rangers ownership made an exception and decided to spend despite the financial issues that threatened to limit their offseason extravagance a week ago, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports.
  • Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker expects Darvish to sign with the Rangers, but wouldn't be surprised if he doesn't.
  • Darvish offers the highest possible reward, but carries the highest possible risk, Jim Bowden writes at ESPN.com. Bowden says Darvish has the stuff to be a top-of-the-rotation starter and argues that he is worth taking a risk on.
  • There's every indication that the sides can work out a deal within 30 days, according to Anthony Castrovince of MLB.com.
  • Darvish could be good enough that the Rangers can sustain the loss of C.J. Wilson without slowing down, Richard Justice writes at MLB.com.
  • Blue Jays fans got their hopes up for Darvish and now face staggering disappointment, as Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca writes. However, Davidi hears the Blue Jays "have a number of balls in the air" beyond Darvish.
  • Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports looks ahead to what hot stove fans can expect now that the Darvish bidding is over. Scott Boras clients Prince Fielder and Edwin Jackson will draw lots of interest as free agents and Gio Gonzalez figures to be traded. The Blue Jays must obtain a No. 2 starter, Morosi writes.

Rangers Win Bidding For Yu Darvish

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If Yu Darvish plays for a Major League team in 2012, he'll be wearing a Rangers uniform. Texas won the rights to the Japanese right-hander via the posting system with a record $51.7MM bid, Yahoo's Jeff Passan reports. MLB has confirmed that the Rangers submitted the highest bid and that it was accepted.

The bid, which exceeds the $51.1MM Boston paid for the rights to speak with Daisuke Matsuzaka five years ago, provides the Rangers with a 30-day negotiating window. If the sides don't agree to a deal within the next 30 days, Darvish will stay in Japan and the Nippon Ham Fighters won't obtain any cash from the Rangers.

Darvish posted a 1.44 ERA with 10.7 K/9 and 1.4 BB/9 in 232 innings this past season and he hasn't posted an ERA above 2.00 since 2007. MLB agents suggested to MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes that it will cost at least $100MM to lock Darvish up, including the posting fee and contract.

If Rangers GM Jon Daniels reaches a deal with Darvish, Texas' rotation will look considerably different in 2012. C.J. Wilson signed with the Angels as a free agent and Neftali Feliz will move to the rotation. Alexi Ogando, Colby Lewis, Derek Holland, Matt Harrison and Scott Feldman provide manager Ron Washington with an abundance of alternatives for the rest of the rotation.

Agent Arn Tellem issued a statement explaining that he was pleased to learn the Rangers were the high bidders, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (on Twitter).

"The Rangers are an extraordinary franchise in an exceptional city with equally exceptional fans," Tellem said. '"Yu is honored to be prized so highly and recognized as a once-in-a-generation pitcher. We look forward to getting negotiations underway."

The Rangers are on the clock and now have until January 18th to reach a deal with Darvish. The Blue Jays, Yankees and Cubs also placed bids on Darvish before last week's deadline. Conversely, the Giants, Athletics, Marlins, Mets, Rays, Angels, Twins, Red Sox and Orioles did not bid, according to recent reports. The Blue Jays had been favored to win the bidding for Darvish ever since the process wrapped up.

Top Bidder For Darvish To Be Announced Tonight

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10:04pm: A Darvish announcement of some sort appears to be coming in about ten minutes, according to Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca (on Twitter)

8:42pm: MLB won't announce which team won the bidding until Nippon announces that it accepted the bid (assuming the team accepts), Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News clarifies (on Twitter).  The Fighters do not know the identity of the team that won the bid.

6:15pm: The Fighters have "definitely" decided to accept the winning bid, Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com tweets.

4:04pm: No firm time is set for the announcement, according to Morosi (Twitter links).  He notes that MLB officials are still waiting for word from Darvish's team and adds that it's just 7am in Japan.

7:40am: The Nippon Ham Fighters will announce their acceptance of the high bidder and the winning team for Yu Darvish tonight, tweets Danny Knobler of CBS Sports, referencing agent Don Nomura.  Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports notes that the announcement will be around 7-8pm central time.  Rumors so far suggest the Blue Jays or Rangers won the bid at an amount exceeding $51MM.

Yu Darvish Rumors: Sunday

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We're likely still a couple days from receiving any official word from MLB and the Nippon-Ham Fighters on the Yu Darvish bidding results. But in the meantime, rumors continue to swirl. Yesterday, we heard the winning bid for Darvish exceeded the $51MM+ posting record set by the Red Sox on Daisuke Matsuzaka in 2006. With the Blue Jays, Rangers, Yankees, and Cubs among the contenders for the Japanese righty, here are today's Darvish rumors, with the latest up top:

  • The Yankees are "not getting [Darvish]" according to Marc Carig of The Star Ledger, citing a person close to the situation. The winning bid was a "ridiculous number," added Carig's source.
  • Jon Heyman of CBS Sports tweets that he'd be "shocked" if a team besides the Rangers or Blue Jays submitted the highest bid for Darvish.
  • The Cubs' bid was "very low" and they have no illusions of winning the rights to negotiate with Darvish, a source tells Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe.

Winning Darvish Bid Exceeds Matsuzaka’s Record

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It's been three full days since the posting period for Yu Darvish has closed, but we're still waiting to find out which team placed the high bid. That high bid will be a posting process record according to Franz Lidz of SI.com, who hears from Japanese league officials that the winning bid exceeds the $51.1MM the Red Sox paid for the right to negotiate with Daisuke Matsuzaka five years ago. The exact amount is unknown.

Yesterday we heard that the Blue Jays bid north of $40MM, making them the favorites for the 25-year-old right-hander. The Rangers, Yankees, and Cubs also submitted bids for Darvish, while the Red Sox, Nationals, Giants, Athletics, Marlins, Orioles, Mets, Rays, Angels, and Twins did not. Nearly 7,500 MLBTR readers believe he'll land in New York with the Yankees. The Nippon Ham Fighters are expected to accept the high bid just before Tuesday's deadline.

Blue Jays Favored To Win Rights To Yu Darvish

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10:03pm: The Nippon-Ham Fighters are keeping information of the winning bid "very tight," tweets Yahoo Sports' Jeff Passan.  A source tells Passan that Darvish himself doesn't know the price of the winning bid.

6:04pm: There are reports from Japan indicating the winning bid for Darvish was around $48MM, tweets MLB.com's Anthony Castrovince.  Castrovince includes a Blue Jays hashtag on his tweet, but notes that nothing is confirmed about either the bid price or the winning team.

12:24pm: The Nationals did not bid on Darvish, according to Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post.

7:43am: The Blue Jays bid more than $40MM and possibly close to $50MM for Yu Darvish and are now favorites to win exclusive negotiating rights with him, George A. King III of the New York Post reports. Multiple sources confirm the Post's report to Jim Bowden of MLB Network Radio and ESPN.com, who says the Blue Jays "won the bidding" (Twitter link).

The Yankees also posted a bid on Darvish, but it's not expected to top Toronto's bid, according to King. The Rangers made a bid and there's a belief the Cubs made a large bid, the Post reports. Rogers Communications, which owns the Blue Jays, ordered the team to make a "monster" bid, King reports.

The Nippon Ham Fighters have until 4pm CDT on December 20th to accept or reject the high bid for Darvish. The Fighters don't know the identity of the MLB team that won the bidding on Darvish, but they're expected to accept the bid.

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