"Star Japanese pitcher Yu Darvish's desire for a five-year contract and the Texas Rangers' preference of a six-year deal is the greatest sticking point between the sides as negotiations barrel toward a deadline Wednesday at 5 p.m. ET, according to major league sources.

Although most players crave longer deals, Darvish, 25, would stand to benefit from a shorter contract.

Not only would he reach free agency a year earlier, he would reap market-value free agent dollars instead of the below-market contract Texas is offering. Because the Rangers placed a $51.7 million bid to his Japanese team strictly for the right to negotiate with Darvish, the deal they're pushing – similar to the six-year, $52 million deal the Boston Red Sox gave Daisuke Matsuzaka, according to a source – is far less than he would stand to earn in free agency."