There is wide-spread speculation that the Seattle Mariners are in the running to win the right to sign the 25-year-old right-hander.
Bidding for the posting fee closed Wednesday, and the U.S. commissioner’s office said it will notify its Japanese counterpart of the amount of the highest bid, but not the identity of the MLB club that made the offer.
The Ham Fighters have until 2 p.m. PST Tuesday to accept. If the bid is accepted, MLB will announce the team that won the rights, and that club will have 30 days to agree to a contract. The posting fee will be paid only if an agreement is reached with Darvish’s agents, Arn Tellem and Don Nomura.
The 6-foot-5 Darvish is considered the best pitcher in the Japanese professional leagues. His record last season was 18-6 with a 1.44 ERA and a league-leading 276 strikeouts.
Media reports in New York had the Yankees in the mix, along with the Toronto Blue Jays, the Washington Nationals, the Texas Rangers and the Mariners.
GIMENEZ TO RETURN
The Mariners have re-signed backup catcher Chris Gimenez to a one-year contract, two days after he was non-tendered by the club.
General manager Jack Zduriencik said the team had every intention of bringing back Gimenez but “some procedural stuff” forced the club to non-tender him before he could be re-signed for next season.
The 28-year-old Gimenez appeared in 24 games last season but missed more than two months with a strained oblique. He hit .203 with one home run and six RBI.
ORIOLES GET PITCHER
Baltimore signed Japanese left-hander Tsuyoshi Wada to a $8.15 million, two-year contract.
The 30-year-old Wada was 107-61 with a 3.13 ERA and 1,329 strikeouts in 210 career games (207 starts) over nine seasons with the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks of the Japanese Pacific League. In his 52 starts over the past two seasons, the lefty went 33-13 with a 2.29 ERA.
SAITO BOLTS BREWERS
The Arizona Diamondbacks have reached agreement on a one-year, $1.75 million contract with 41-year-old right-hander Takashi Saito.
The former All-Star went 4-2 with a 2.03 ERA in 30 relief appearances for the NL Central-champion Milwaukee Brewers last season.
CARDS KEEP FURCAL
The St. Louis Cardinals finalized a two-year, $14 million free agent deal with shortstop Rafael Furcal, a trade deadline pickup who helped their run to the World Series title.
The deal was completed Wednesday after the 34-year-old Furcal passed a physical. He gets salaries of $6 million next year and $7 million in 2013, along with a $1 million signing bonus.
Furcal batted .255 with St. Louis, solidifying the defense along with the leadoff slot.
SHORT HOPS
Arizona and 29-year-old right-hander Jonathan Albaladejo agreed to a $490,000, one-year contract. He last pitched in the major in 2010 with the Yankees. … Oakland has agreed to a $3.35 million, one-year contract with left-hander Dallas Braden. He made three starts last season before being sidelined by a shoulder injury. … The Giants are close to a $1 million, one-year contract with free agent reliever Guillermo Mota to bring him back for a third season. … The Red Sox acquired reliever Mark Melancon from the Astros and agreed to a $3 million, two-year contract to lure infielder Nick Punto from the Cardinals.
