Thursday, December 8, 2011

Yu Darvish - A new shot of charisma from the Texas Rangers?

 Some people were glad to see him go, others thought this could be the start of a downward spiral. Either way, C.J. Wilson's departure garnered quite a bit of attention and conversation Thursday. While he was wonderful in the regular season, posting a 16-7 with a 2.94 ERA, his postseason was atrocious, where he was 0-3 with a 5.79 ERA.

So now, what should the Rangers do? Should they shop the free agent market for a replacement? Maybe make a trade? There are a few options Texas can make in its starting pitching department, and there could be one that could definitely bring charisma.

Cue the half-Iranian, half-Japanese 25-year-old phenom from Japan's Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters, Mr. Yu Darvish. Last season, he had an 18-6 record with a 1.44 ERA and an outstanding 276 strikeouts. He's also never had an ERA above 1.88 in his career. Pretty impressive, but do keep in mind, that's just in the Nippon Professional Baseball league. How his game translates to the MLB is another story.

But it's definitely a story the fans want to see. Currently, the frontrunners in the bidding war to even talk to Darvish are the Texas Rangers, Toronto Blue Jays, and the Washington Nationals. The New York Yankees have analyzed the situation, but aren't expected to make a bid. With Wilson gone, Texas is expected to make a strong effort to render Darvish's services.

Darvish could be considered a star in Japan. He is a spokesmodel for a Japanese canned coffee, and he isn't bad looking either. He could have star written all over him?

But is that what the Texas Rangers want? Texas, lately, has adopted a team first mindset, which has been fundamental for their recent success. Sure, they have members that tend to receive a lot of attention from the media, such as manager Ron Washington and outfielder Josh Hamilton. But could Yu Darvish adapt to that mindset?

If he produces, then I am sure he could easily blend in to the fun and well-liked Texas squad. Darvish has an arsenal of pitches. His fastball usually rests in the mid-90's, but his biggest strength is his breaking balls. Perhaps he could teach Neftali Feliz something on how to throw those.

Here you can see Darvish in action. His pitches look crisp and effective, something Mike Maddux would be happy to see in his rotation. But if he does join the rotation, who becomes the odd man out? Colby Lewis and Derek Holland are locks to be starting pitchers, while Feliz (who I need to see to believe) is apparently locked in place as well. Both Matt Harrison and Alexi Ogando have plenty of bullpen experience, so I imagine it will be one or the other. The discussion for that could go on and on.

But I am obviously ahead of myself. Darvish will be an expensive product, and there is no guarantee that the Rangers will make an attempt for his arm. But if they do, I would be thrilled to have him on the roster, even though there is no cemented fact that he can produce in the Majors. Regardless, it should be a fun ride for the next week, so stay tuned to your favorite media outlet, because Darvish to Texas could be a perfect replacement for Wilson.

All opinions are solely those of Dustin McWilliams. McWilliams is a sports writer at the Denton Record-Chronicle. If you have any questions or feedback, please message McWilliams at dmcwilliams82@gmail.com

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