Which Team Will Win the Rights to Yu Darvish?

[PeteD]

Wasn't impressed with him during the World Classic, a righthanded Chapman...great stuff with no or little control. Disciplined MLB hitters will handle him easily.

 

[aarne13]

4 teams put a bid in for Darvish.

Cubs
Yankees
Bluejays
Rangers

I don't think any pitchers at the WBC looked great. Very small sample size at a time where players would be in spring training. Yu's numbers in the NPB look great.

 

[200lbhockeyplayer]

Wasn't impressed with him during the World Classic, a righthanded Chapman...great stuff with no or little control. Disciplined MLB hitters will handle him easily.

I'm no scout, but 20 Ks in 13 IP impresses me against very good competition.

 

[NECpilgrims8]

Wasn't impressed with him during the World Classic, a righthanded Chapman...great stuff with no or little control. Disciplined MLB hitters will handle him easily.

I'm no scout, but 20 Ks in 13 IP impresses me against very good competition.

Taken from a site regarding Darvish:

...So being posted at 25 is exactly right. Whoever signs Darvish will be getting his prime years.

Now, check out the numbers he has already posted in NPB. He doesn't walk people. He doesn't give up many hits or runs -- he has posted ERAs under 2.00 for five consecutive seasons, and almost had WHIPs under 1.00 all five of those years, barely going over that mark at 1.01 in 2010. Even if you think NPB competition isn't quite what MLB is, that is absolute dominance. No other Japanese pitcher currently in NPB is anywhere close to those kind of numbers. Look, for example, at his ERA compared to the league. There aren't a ton of innings on his arm, either; over that five-year period of dominance he has averaged about 204 innings, not an extraordinary total.

Not sure how anyone can say he doesn't have control and is unimpressive.

 

[drabek4]

I'm biased toward the Cubs. Theo needs to start making his mark and building with young stars. Darvish fits the mark in both. It will be VERY disappointing if they don't bid... moderately disappointing if they bid less than $40 million. They have the money with so much having come off the payroll and not getting Pujols.

Considering their luck with Fukudome and Theo's experience with Dice K Id hope they'd be smarter than that. Besides, I don't think Darvish with be more than an average pitcher in the US.

Why do people make statements like this without presenting evidence of any kind?

 

[phillyfan0417]

I'm biased toward the Cubs. Theo needs to start making his mark and building with young stars. Darvish fits the mark in both. It will be VERY disappointing if they don't bid... moderately disappointing if they bid less than $40 million. They have the money with so much having come off the payroll and not getting Pujols.

Considering their luck with Fukudome and Theo's experience with Dice K Id hope they'd be smarter than that. Besides, I don't think Darvish with be more than an average pitcher in the US.

Why do people make statements like this without presenting evidence of any kind?

Because there is none? Those opinions are only based on those who came before them.

If its a pitcher the comparison is Dice-K and hitters its fukodome.

 

[Jaypers]

Blue Jays Favored To Win Rights To Yu Darvish
By Ben Nicholson-Smith [December 16 at 7:43am CST]

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 confrim 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 Blus Jays, ordered the team to make a "monster" bid, King reports.

 

[aarne13]

Giggity giggity giggity giggity oh yeah!

All of the rumors favor the Jays. But people are just guessing. The bids were sealed, the Fighters don't know who the highest bidder was. They only know what the winning bid was. The Comissioner's Office ? will release the name of the team once the Fighters have decided.
It is funny to see how little some of these "experts" know and cite other bloggers who know even less.

 

[shayscards79]

I'm biased toward the Cubs. Theo needs to start making his mark and building with young stars. Darvish fits the mark in both. It will be VERY disappointing if they don't bid... moderately disappointing if they bid less than $40 million. They have the money with so much having come off the payroll and not getting Pujols.

Considering their luck with Fukudome and Theo's experience with Dice K Id hope they'd be smarter than that. Besides, I don't think Darvish with be more than an average pitcher in the US.

Why do people make statements like this without presenting evidence of any kind?

Maybe I am biased.. but after watching Matt Murton perform underwhelmingly for the Cubs, then break Ichiro's hitting record in Japan, my excitement for the team signing their players went down the *******.

 

[aarne13]

The Nats didn't place a bid.

 

[gt2590]

Maybe I am biased.. but after watching Matt Murton perform underwhelmingly for the Cubs, then break Ichiro's hitting record in Japan, my excitement for the team signing their players went down the quit swearing.

Don't forget Tuffy Rhodes! :lol:

But Darvish is supposedly the exception. A good fastball with a traditional delivery...

And I am the only one kinda surprised by the winning bid Being Toronto? I thought they had SERIOUS cash problems the last coupla years... :?

 

[joey12508]

Maybe I am biased.. but after watching Matt Murton perform underwhelmingly for the Cubs, then break Ichiro's hitting record in Japan, my excitement for the team signing their players went down the quit swearing.

Don't forget Tuffy Rhodes! :lol:

But Darvish is supposedly the exception. A good fastball with a traditional delivery...

And I am the only one kinda surprised by the winning bid Being Toronto? I thought they had SERIOUS cash problems the last coupla years... :?

just because they have the winning bid, doesnt mean they will sign him.

 

[aarne13]

No cash problems in TO. It just wasn't in the plans last couple years.

 

[olerud363]

The "official" stance here in T.O. has been that Rogers (the owners) told Beeston and Anthopoulos that the money is there, they just have to ask for it. The Blue Jays minds have maintained that they want to spend smart, not just try to keep up with NYY and BOS. In recent years there have been signs that the Jays have been willing to spend: they were in on the Aroldis Chapman sweepstakes and able to land Adeiny Hechavarria. But as long as everyone thinks Toronto has "budget trouble" and doesn't pay attention to them, that may only help their cause.

As for the posting process for Japanese players, I read an interesting comment in the Toronto Star regarding the controversy that can surround the process. What's to stop an unscrupulous team from submitting a ridiculous bid, like $100million, winning the negotiating rights, then offering the player a lowball contract which he'll refuse just to keep him out of the hands of a competitor? He'd then have to go back to Japan for the season.

 

[joey12508]

The "official" stance here in T.O. has been that Rogers (the owners) told Beeston and Anthopoulos that the money is there, they just have to ask for it. The Blue Jays minds have maintained that they want to spend smart, not just try to keep up with NYY and BOS. In recent years there have been signs that the Jays have been willing to spend: they were in on the Aroldis Chapman sweepstakes and able to land Adeiny Hechavarria. But as long as everyone thinks Toronto has "budget trouble" and doesn't pay attention to them, that may only help their cause.

As for the posting process for Japanese players, I read an interesting comment in the Toronto Star regarding the controversy that can surround the process. What's to stop an unscrupulous team from submitting a ridiculous bid, like $100million, winning the negotiating rights, then offering the player a lowball contract which he'll refuse just to keep him out of the hands of a competitor? He'd then have to go back to Japan for the season.

or darvish just turns down the offer and becomes a free agent next year.