Darvish a risk Rangers had to take 

Move over Los Angeles Angels and Miami Marlins; it looks like the Texas Rangers have a blockbuster move of their own.

Major League Baseball announced late Monday night the winning bid accepted by the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters was for $51.7 million from the Texas Rangers.

The Rangers now have 30 days to sign Darvish, and all indications are that it will be a relatively easy negotiation since most clubs knew what the framework would be for a deal prior to submitting their bids. The deal is expected to be five or six years with annual salaries in the range of $12-15 million, close to what former Rangers pitcher C.J. Wilson got from the Angels earlier this month.

This type of signing is the highest possible risk with the highest possible reward. Frankly, it’s the type of move that can make or break a general manager’s career. Between the posting fee and Darvish’s contract, the Rangers will be committing between approximately $120 million and $150 million for a pitcher who has never pitched to a single batter in the majors. It’s a gamble from which most people would walk away. Therefore, you have to give credit to Texas Rangers general manager Jon Daniels for having the conviction to land a potential ace in order to keep up with their AL West rival Angels.

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