Yu Darvish arrived at the Texas Rangers’ spring training complex Tuesday and threw his first bullpen session with his new team.
Darvish got to camp in Surprise, Ariz., a day before the reporting date for Texas pitchers and catchers.
Rangers manager Ron Washington said Darvish threw about 35 pitches.
“He kept the ball down and hit his spots,” Washington said. “He can sink it, he can run it. He’s definitely got a good feel for the baseball, he’s a power pitcher with finesse stuff.”
The American League-champion Rangers committed more than $107 million to acquire Japan’s top pitcher. The 25-year-old Darvish got a six-year contract guaranteeing him $56 million, and Texas had to pay a record $51,703,411 posting bid to his former team, the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters.
The first official workout is Thursday, and the Rangers said Darvish isn’t expected to talk to reporters until then.
A two-time Pacific League MVP, the 6-foot-5 Darvish had a 93-38 record with a 1.99 ERA in 167 games the past seven years.
COMP FOR EPSTEIN
The Red Sox and Cubs finally announced a deal that settles a four-month dispute over what Boston should get as compensation when general manager Theo Epstein left for Chicago. The Cubs sent right-handed reliever Chris Carpenter to the Red Sox for Epstein. Each team will throw in a player to be named.
Carpenter was a third-round draft pick by the Cubs in 2008. He made 42 relief appearances between Double-A Tennessee, Triple-A Iowa and the Cubs. He spent four years in the minors before seeing his first major league action last season, when he posted no record and a 2.79 ERA in 10 appearances.
SHORT HOPS
A season after Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon put outfielder Sam Fuld on the mound to warm up for the sole purpose of giving a reliever extra time in the bullpen, Major League Baseball closed a loophole. MLB has amended Official Baseball Rule 3.05 regarding such shenanigans. The change will “prohibit a manager from sending his current pitcher out to warm up with no intention of having him pitch because a relief pitcher is not ready to enter the game.” … Tony La Russa says he’s talked to commissioner Bud Selig about working for Major League Baseball in some capacity. La Russa was vague about what he might do but said he would not be taking Joe Torre’s old job as executive vice president of baseball operations. … The Indians have traded minor league left-hander Kelvin De La Cruz to Texas for cash considerations. … Infielder Cristian Guzman has taken a physical for the Indians and says he will sign a minor league contract with the club. … Aroldis Chapman will be tested as a starter this spring by the Reds. The 24-year old left-hander, whose pitches have been clocked at 105 mph, has a 6-3 record with a 3.27 ERA in 69 relief appearances in two seasons.
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