In what will be a daily post, we'll talk about the upcoming season for the Texas Rangers and where guys fit in on the roster. It's almost baseball time!
Today, we'll move on to the projected No. 2 starter for the Rangers after tabbing Derek Holland as the team's No. 1 starter on Monday.
When the Rangers paid the Nippon Ham Fighters $51.7 million to even have the right to negotiate with Darvish, and then paid him in the neighborhood of $60 million, they didn't do so with the thinking that Darvish will be a No. 3 starter for the club.
Many projections have suggested the Rangers shouldn't be disappointed if Darvish is nothing more than a No. 3 starter in the majors, but they will be, and so will Rangers fans. Many stat projections have suggested he'll win anywhere from 13 to 16 games in 2012 and have an ERA in the mid-3.00 area.
That would be No. 3 numbers if you pitch for the Philadelphia Phillies, but for most teams that's a very solid No. 2 starter's numbers.
It's true, Darvish has no history in the big leagues and could come here and totally fall flat on his face, but Rangers fans should just trust the tireless research and scouting the Rangers' front office did on Darvish in the years, not months, leading up to the posting and signing of the Japanese phenom.
But when you invest as much money as the Rangers have in Darvish, there are expectations — like it or not — to be met, and the Rangers are expecting Darvish to live up to the hype and be a No. 2, possibly even a No. 1.
