The Texas Rangers have signed Japanese starting pitcher Yu Darvish to a six-year deal worth approximately $60 million, according to a report on MLB.com.
Texas, which had won the exclusive bidding rights with a posting fee of $51.7 million, had a 5 p.m. EST Wednesday deadline to complete the deal or Darvish’s Japanese team, the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters would keep Darvish for another season and not receive the posting fee.
Darvish, 25, went 18-6 with a 1.44 ERA in 28 games for the Fighters in 2011. Twice Darvish has been named MVP of Japan’s Pacific League and twice he’s been selected as the top pitcher.
The right-hander has a fair amount of international pitching experience after playing for Japan’s national team in the 2008 Olympics and 2009 World Baseball Classic.
