After nearly a week since the posting period ended, we now know who has won the right to negotiate with Japanese right hander Yu Darvish: the Texas Rangers. Per Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports:
The Texas Rangers have won the posting auction of Japanese right-hander Yu Darvish with a record $51.7M bid, sources tell Yahoo! Sports.
The previous posting fee record had been held by Boston Red Sox pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka.
Per Richard Durrett of ESPN Dallas, MLB has confirmed that the Rangers were indeed the high bidders.
Texas will now have to give the Nippon-Ham Fighters the $51.7 million dollars if they sign Darvish to a contract. Darvish and the Rangers will have thirty days to agree to terms. If the Rangers are unable to sign Darvish, then the Rangers will not have to pay the posting fee.
Darvish went 18-6 with a 1.44 ERA in 2011 for the Fighters, while striking out 276 and walking only 36 in 232 innings.