ARLINGTON -- The clock is winding down on Rangers pitcher Yu Darvish.
The Rangers just celebrated the five-year anniversary of submitting the winning bid on Darvish after he was posted by the Nippon Ham Fighters in Japan. The Rangers' bid, announced on Dec. 19, 2011, was approximately $51.7 million, and they signed Darvish for six years and another $56 million.
Their $107 million investment is about to expire. Darvish will become a free agent after the 2017 season if the Rangers don't sign him to a contract extension.
General manager Jon Daniels has made it clear the Rangers are interested in doing that, but he has been putting together the 2017 team.