The biggest sticking point in negotiations between the Texas Rangers and Japanese pitcher Yu Darvish is the term of the contract, according to a report by Yahoo! Sports.
Darvish wants five years and the Rangers want him under team control for six years, according to a source in the report. Why would Darvish want the shorter contract? Because he could become a free agent sooner, possibly commanding even bigger bucks than he would from this initial contract with the Rangers, who have already agreed to pay a $51.7 million posting bid and apparently want a deal similar to what the Red Sox gave Diasuke Matsuzaka (six years, $52 million).
There may be several ways to compromise, including a lucrative sixth year or an option for that year with a buyout, etc. The report also states that the likelihood of a breakdown in the next few days before the deadline is "minimal."
This is the time when things tend to get done in these negotiations. Both sides have a little more than two days to get this done. Want the exact time left? Check out our countdown clock on the ESPN Dallas home page.