Rangers "Win" Yu Darvish Sweepstakes

First off, lets get one thing out of the way.  I LOVE the team name "Nippon Ham Fighters".  I know that the nickname is just "Fighters", but I love to pretend its "Ham Fighters".  Anyway....

Japanese stud and member of the Nippon Ham Fighters, Yu Darvish, is now off the market.  The Texas Rangers have won the bidding rights to the young phenom for just over $51 Million dollars.  That is just what they give Nippon Ham after the player has signed with the Rangers.  They will still owe whatever they agree to pay Darvish.

Now, I like a hot foreign prospect as much as the next guy, and I'm all for Major League Baseball acquiring the best baseball talent in the world, but I can't help but feel the Rangers have overpaid for Darvish.  Granted, we all saw him dominate in the World Baseball Classic, and how well he has done in Japan, but that doesn't always equal MLB production.  In the WBC, even if the better guys play, they don't always give 100%, its just like extended Spring Training for some of them.  In Japan, guys like Daisuke and Matsui have been would-be Hall of Famers, but get over here and can barely squeak into the All-Star Game.

Many have said Yu Darvish is a different kind of talent, and that could be true, but the only guy who has come to the states for Asia and made a significant impact on the game has been Ichiro, but he has also been crippling the Mariners Payroll for about a decade (well, him and Adrian Beltre), and been in the cellar of the AL West for a good chunk of that time.

Part of me hopes Yu Darvish pays off, I hope he becomes a Top 10 pitcher in baseball and watching him toe the slab every 5 days becomes must-see-tv.  Somehow, though, I doubt that will happen.  I see him being a solid 2nd or 3rd starter, making an All-Star Team or two, and having a good, if forgettable, career.

Oh, but if he can find a way to always have this sweet mustache, he is cool with me:

Why The Angels Should Claim Manny Today.

Thats right, today. Rumors are running rampant that Manny Ramirez of the Dodgers is going to be put through waivers today. His relationship with the Dodgers has crumbled, and with the Dodgers out of the race, they are looking to move the All-Star Outfielder for some pieces they can use to build on in the future. I'm going to a few of reasons that the Angels should pursue him and land him on their team for the last month of the season.

1. Increase Ticket Sales, TV Ratings and National Attention: The Dodgers received a HUGE boost in all three areas when Manny came to LA at the Trading Deadline in 2008. Not to mention a significant boost in Season Ticket sales in 2009. Its no secret that the Angels attendance isn't going to be what the team has been used to this year. They aren't selling out as many games, and there have been many more games with tickets on sale. Manny would bring people out to games in a mostly meaningless final month of the season, bringing me to my next point.

2. Keep Angel Fans Interested for Final Month of the Season: I'm not going to sugarcoat anything here. With the last two Angels losses (combined with big wins for the Rangers), the Angels are done. They are not making the playoffs, and at this point are playing for second place. With Manny on the team, you can bet your ass I'll be tuning in to just about every Angel game in September, even though Football has begun.

3. He Will Help The Angels Finish Strong: While I said two sentences ago that the Angels are out of it, that doesn't mean they should stop playing. September call-ups are a week away, and with all the new talent on the roster, guys should start playing for playing time next season. Throw a big bat like Manny in the lineup, someone who could actually get hits with Runners in Scoring Position, and the Angels could finish strong, with maybe an 85 win season. Its better to have some momentum going into next season.

4. It Will Give The Angels the Inside Track to Signing Him in the Off-season: I like Hideki Matusi. He seems like a good guy, but he didn't quite pan out as the Angels had hoped this year. With his one year contract, he is unlikely to receive another offer from the Angels, and will take his bum knees to another AL town (More than likely to Seattle, to play with guys like Ichiro, and for the huge Japanese community in the Seattle area). The Angels will need a DH, and Manny is the perfect DH. He has never liked to play in the field, but loves to hit home runs. While its not an ideal scenario for me, I admit that I've always liked Manny, and would love to see him in an Angels uniform, at least for a couple years.

5. He Can't Possibly Be Any Worse Than Our Current Hitters with RISP: After going 0-for-7 on Sunday, the Angels managed to go 1-for-11 with RISP on Monday night. Angels hitters are struggling to even move guys over. I've seen more pop-outs, shallow fly-outs and strikeouts than ever before. While I'm not going to claim Manny Ramirez is some sort of savior, there is no possible way he can be worse. Its mathematically impossible.

Rangers Magic Number: 29
Carl Crawford Countdown: 110