Speculation intensifies over Darvish's future in major leagues

“It was a great experience for me,” said Darvish, who helped Japan to its second straight WBC title.

yeah very exciting bungee jump type pitching - high in the skies or down in the dust - no fixed strike zone ! Anyway, as the article says it's all for the sake of money therefore selling this secondhand merchandise faster may fetch better price.

Dunno if he'll have any better debut than Strasburg did yesterday. The bar is set pretty high.

I doubt he'll go. 2013 is very far away and a pitchers life is usually short. I have no idea why he threw his chances away to play in Japan. He is like that kid that got scouted this past year (the crying one) and decided to stay in Japan because he felt he was too young to go. Japan screws over their players - note the cap on pitched in the US - with chances and lifetime careers.

The Japanese stars don't get paid anything near what the major leaguers get. And tmarie, I agree, Japanese teams expect their pitchers to sacrifice their arms for the sake of the team. Darvish should get out as soon as possible.

Go (too) Yankees!

Yeah if he dont go soon hes going to miss his chance. He can always come back like Jojima Shinjo ect if he wants to. Yankees were burned pretty badly by Igawa so they might be reluctant with him.

tmarie -- agree, if doesn't go now, he'll be burned out by 2013. And, if he does go, the MLB team that signs him better get a clause in his contract that states he is prohibited from playing in the stupid WBC. The Red Sox lost a year of Matsuzaka because he had no off season in 2008/2009, and showed up for spring training totally wasted.

Nippon Ham should use him sparingly this season. His value will not go up further. On the other hand, if they wait for the economy to recover they could get more cash for him from MLB.

It all hinges on Darvish's wife. He is totally whipped and the wife likes Japan. He listens to everything she says.

Debucho: That might be true about his wife, but wait till she finds out what his contract would be in the U.S. I think he's one of the highest paid players now at about $3.3 million a year. What do you think his contract would be in the major leagues, especially considering his young age?

about $15M a year I guess. I have heard rumors the posting fee could eclipse $100M, almost double what Dice-K got.

I am only new to watching baseball and enjoy having the MLB playing on TV while I work, but what is with all the spitting and chewing tabacco. The game I have grown to enjoy but can not watch that spitting aspect of it...a real turn off. Good luck to Darvish.....

I am constantly unbrainwashing my future sports lad from his nationalist Mommy.

Darvish’s mother, Ikuyo, met his father, Farzad, at Eckerd College in Florida, where Farzad played soccer.

So?

my2sense, your kid was born in Japan? If so, what's wrong with being loyal or patriotic to where you are from? Darvish is a so-called "half" but he thinks of himself as Japanese and chose to keep his Japanese passport. It would be cool if he decides to stay in Japan and set some records. No more of this 150 career wins or 3000 hits, if you add stats in Japan and America, thing.

bicuItural- I want him to think outside the box...not inside the box mate. Personally I would choose Japan (for Darvish) over an Iran identity and loyalty myself. Anyway- from a baseball point I would want my own kid playing in the US if he was called up by the Pros. The US and Japan are married, in bed together and the US is the aggressive-so I consider both nations sort of family. My kid holds both passports until 22 and which will he choose...? I will see. As you can see mate.... I am not a big fan on Japan's sport regimen, management and social norms. Have you seen HS baseball here? Shaving their heads, belittled by coaches and crying if they win or lose a championship game (both). To each his own I guess mate. My kid also looks 95% like me. Odd as it seems people think he is an American kid (he is-but he is JAL-(JapaneseAmericanLove) and we dont get the haffu charade. Its not shallow me pointing that out but the culture here. Darvish sure took in some Arab height...but the guy looks Japanese to me. If he had Tanaka on his back I would have never guessed. Loyalty is expected but I think Japanese Americans face a tough decision depending where they are raised. That leaves out Darvish and American hating Iran. My wife tells me the that is why he never went... however money talks and MLB players come from all over the world. I have a feeling he will go for it. True global ball players do (Matsui, Ichiro, Dice...they live nice) Cheers....

His daddy went to America even after the Iranian Revolution, so obviously his daddy did not hold it against America. More likely, his daddy went to America because of the Iranian Revolution.

Americans don't hate Iranians - they support the Iranian protesters who are being beaten to a pulp by the theocracy.

(Also fact: American tennis great Andre Agassi's father is Iranian, so like Darvish, Agassi is half-Iranian.)

When he first debuted people were asking when he'd go MLB and frankly at the time he wasn't interested. Many thought it was a lack of ambition, but the angle at the time was also his Iranian heritage. He's close to his dad, who will haev a hard time being with him or seeing him in the states.

You guys know how hard it is for an Iranian to go to the US? I don't know for sure, but a mate of mine is British through and through (even wears his kilt) but as his father was in the oil business he was born in Iran. On his British passport, it states place of both Tehran. he looks British through and through, but because of his place of birth, he has a damn hard time getting into the US (he can only enter the US through a restricted number of cities).

Yeah his dad states, but the degree of skepticism the US has with Iran has changed and tightened even more than when compared to when ihis dad was at school.

Would love to see him in the majors, but me thinks its highly unlikely mate. I'd rather much bet on Da Cubs winning the world series this year...

Do you guys seriously think that because he's half Iranian, he won't pitch in the major leagues? Silly

Darvish does not speak Iranian, he thinks of himself 100% Japanese. That has no bearing on his decision. His wife controls his fate.

He is close to his father, but the anti-American thing is not a factor. Trust me, I know.

ha ha, debucho. Yes, I'm sure you know. In fact, one of my clients is best friends with Saeko (his wife) and she is very supportive, not controlling.

I have met them though business. Trust me, I know. Ask them about the World Baseball Classic arranglement she made him make for her.