There’s been some talk this offseason that the Texas Rangers could be signing both Japanese hurler Yu Darvish, who won 18 games in his homeland last season, and free-agent first baseman Prince Fielder, who slugged 38 homers last year. The Rangers have until 5 p.m. ET Wednesday to sign Darvish to a deal and MLB.com reports that the team expects a deal to get done, though it could go totally down to the wire.
If Darvish can be signed, the site reports that the team is “not expecting to sign free-agent first baseman Prince Fielder.”
The team did meet with Fielder and his agent, Scott Boras, on Friday in a “preliminary meeting,” the site notes, just in case the Darvish deal fell through. Another part of the Rangers’ backup plan if Darvish doesn’t sign, the site notes, is Roy Oswalt.
“The team has made it clear that its focus is on pitching, and it expects to sign Darvish by Wednesday,” the site notes. If Darvish does sign, the Rangers’ payroll may be pushed up to $ 120 million or over, MLB.com reports, well over the $ 92 million it spent last season and the $ 55 million payroll it started with in 2010.
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