Texas Rangers sign pitcher Yu Darvish – MLB News
That which was awaited with bated breath has finally materialised. The Texas Rangers on Wednesday, 18 January, signed Yu Darvish who had previously represented Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters in Japan's Pacific League.
The deal which is said to be worth $112 million, from its outlook, seems huge considering the fact that he has not been a mainstream player in Major League Baseball. However, what retains tremendous importance here is the fact that Yu Darvish has remained
almost unbeatable back in his country, Japan.
Texas Rangers had the deadline of Wednesday 4 p.m. to make their decision. There could have been a lot of developments ever since the team undertook the endeavour to sign the player, but it was to constrain himself to the options that will ultimately benefit
the team.
The club needed a strong arm to take on the rival teams’ offences. One of the supposed vulnerabilities that the otherwise potential winners Texas Rangers have lately faced was pitching. It was this pitching that rendered them unable to win the World Series
title.
The club fought hard against the St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series’ best-of-seven finals, but they ultimately lost due to the lack of strong backing in the bullpen as relievers and closers faced enormous difficulty.
In Yu Darvish, however, the Texas Rangers see a Number One starter. That is why they were willing to transcend their bias in favour of Prince Fielder, another free-agent slugger in the market right now.
Rumours had it that the Rangers might go for Fielder, but that all turned out to be wrong once the team finally signed the 25-year-old right hander on Wednesday. The Rangers had spent their time in scouting this talented player. Time and energy they invested
on the young talent has now paid off.
It is indeed a matter of time now to see how the Rangers make use of this pitcher. Also, equally important will be Yu Darvish’s ability to live up to the expectations that the team attaches to him as a Number One starter. The Rangers will be hoping that
the acquisition of Darvish will strengthen the pitching rotation and add a positive impact during the 2012 MLB regular season.
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