Via Hardball Talk comes the news that Japanese pitching sensation Yu Darvish will reportedly ask to be formally posted this offseason.
For those who aren't familiar with the posting system, if Darvish is posted, that means that major league teams will be invited to submit a sealed bid for the exclusive negotiating rights to Darvish over a four day period. The highest bidder gets a thirty day window in which to negotiate a contract with Darvish. If, after thirty days passes, no deal is struck, Darvish stays in Japan, and the team that won the bidding gets their money back from the bid. If a deal is reached, then Darvish's team in Japan receives the posting fee.
Daisuke Matsuzaka famously went to Boston via the posting process in the 2006-07 offseason, when the Red Sox bid $51.1 million to get the rights to Matsuzaka. Texas reportedly submitted a bid in the mid-$20 million range for Matsuzaka.
Darvish, if he were to come to the States, would be considered at least the most sought after Japanese pitcher since Matsuzaka, and probably the most highly sought after Japanese pitcher ever. The Rangers have scouted him extensively and are considered to be one of the teams that will pursue Darvish most aggressively, should he be posted.