Just teams doing their homework in case he is posted considering the season is coming to a close.

He did make a comment about “going up the staircase step by step,” but he then clarified that that was in terms of himself, not coming stateside.

Darvish received further publicity when he was caught smoking in a pachinko parlor on an off-day during his first Spring Training in 2005, despite not being old enough to legally smoke nor to gamble at the time. The incident prompted his high school to suspend him, and the Fighters to place him under probation for an indefinite period of time and order him to participate in community service.Without any aspersion on Darvish, part of the way we got ito this mess is by signing guys to huge, bloated contracts. The way we will not get out of it is by signing guys to huge, bloated, contracts. Maybe Darvish would be a great addition. Even still he would only be one guy who would play just a bit more than once a week. I think the point that we will probably sign an Ollie and two Castillos for the money is also a good one, so maybe Darvish hmmmm.

If there’s one thing the Nats’ Stras experience told us this year it’s that pitching prospects are a very dicey proposition. Then again, I think he might get the Keith Hernandez seal of approval due to this (from Wikipedia):

Darvish received further publicity when he was caught smoking in a pachinko parlor on an off-day during his first Spring Training in 2005, despite not being old enough to legally smoke nor to gamble at the time. The incident prompted his high school to suspend him, and the Fighters to place him under probation for an indefinite period of time and order him to participate in community service.

His dad met with a MLB agent (Arn Tellem) in May and a number of teams have sent scouts to see him. He’s signed until 2013 but if recent history is any guide

Oh, the smoking and gambling thing does not make him worse in my book: it makes him better. As does his very cute wife:

Otherwise I think I might laugh until I cry. I guess this underscores that you never know what you’re getting from Japan until you open the box.

In Japan, a typical season for Igarashi was pure K-Rod: a strikeout rate hovering around 11 per 9 and a BB/9 between 4 and 5. And while, yes, the NBP is a kind of high-AAA minor league, Igarashi signed for a total $3 million and Rodriguez $55 million (with vesting option of doom). A $12-million dollar salary disparity is too much for two players with a very good, non-zero chance of pitching almost identically in 2010, and it reflects a failure of process.