New York Yankees likely to pursue Yu Darvish – MLB Update
The New York Yankees may likely have Japanese pitcher Yu Darvish for the next season and this decision has come after the Yankees examined the 25-year-old.
According to the Yankees’ General Manager Brian Cashman, the club scouted the young lad in the 2011 season, in which he posted 18-6 with a 1.44 ERA as a starting pitcher for the Nippon Ham Fighters. Cashman confirmed the idea that the team could hold him
for the next year if he goes through the process required to enter into Major League Baseball.
"We scout Japanese baseball the same way we scout the American League and the National League," Cashman said. "We had a wave of scouts there all season."
When asked if the Yankees would be interested to indulge in a bidding process on Darvish, Cashman refused to reply, mainly because he was aware of the $100-million he would have to grant the player as a posting fee. Cashman will not be interested also because
he will have to convince the Major League Baseball about his decision to select a Japanese player, especially because of the differences present between the Japanese and the U.S. versions of the sport.
However the Yankees may have to face a tough decision from their season leading pitcher Carsten Charles Sabathia, who has reportedly decided to use his opt-out clause of his contract sometime later in the next week. In such a condition, Darvish would be
a perfect alternative for the upcoming year, in which free agents C.J. Wilson, Mark Buehrle and Edwin Jackson could join him.
Darvish, on the other hand has already requested his team owner to put him on a posting process. Hiroji Okoso, the owner of the Nippon Ham Fighters has opened the doors for his star pitcher saying, "If he wants to play at a higher level, then that's his
wish."
However, Darvish declined in his tweet the reports of his posting and wrote that no decision has been made. What’s forcing the Yankees to take Darvish serious is his seven-year career, in which he has taken 93-38 record with an ERA of 2.12. Most importantly,
his pitching brilliance in 2011, which include 276 strike-outs in 232 innings and only 35 allowed walks, has provided the Yankees a driving force to consider him for 2012.
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