"The free-agent pitching catch of the winter might have just hit the market, and the team that won his negotiating rights was smart to do so; it was the team that lost to free agency the pitcher previously regarded the winter's top catch, C.J. Wilson.

And so it is the Texas Rangers that have won exclusive rights to work out a deal with 25-year-old Japanese right-hander Yu Darvish. The Rangers are officially on the clock and have 30 days to sign Darvish.

Count on them doing so.

Remember, Rangers general manager Jon Daniels was one of two GMs to travel to Japan to scout Darvish this past summer -- Toronto Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos was the other -- so he clearly holds Darvish in high regard. It was that visit, in fact, that was the impetus for getting Darvish into my midseason keeper top 250 as well as specifically profiled in the final 2011 edition of "60 Feet 6 Inches"; the hints have been dropped for months that he'd make the leap to Major League Baseball."