Yu Darvish, who was already the most hyped Japanese pitcher to ever catch the wandering eye of the major leagues, officially became the most expensive Japanese pitcher in major league history Wednesday. The Texas Rangers, who had already committed $51.7 million to the Nippon Ham Fighters for the privilege of signing their star right-hander, finalized a six-year, $60 million contract with Darvish as the minutes ticked down on the negotiating deadline.
The contract includes up to $10 million in incentives and may allow Darvish to opt out of the contract a year early if he meets certain milestones. But as a bare minimum, the Rangers are committed to an outlay of nearly $112 million over the next six years — nearly half of that due as a lump...
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