Rays exercised Kyle Farnsworth's $3.3 million option for 2012. The price of the option was reasonable enough, so most expected the Rays would retain him. Farnsworth, 35, posted a 2.18 ERA, 0.99 WHIP and 51/12 K/BB ratio over 57 2/3 innings this season while going 25-for-31 in save opportunities. He dealt with some elbow discomfort down the stretch, but should be considered the favorite for saves going into spring training. http://www.rotoworld.com/headlines/mlb/344749/baseball-headlines?r=1
The Tampa Bay Rays have exercised their $7.5 million contract option for 2012 on pitcher James Shields. Shields went 16-12 with a 2.82 ERA and 225 strikeouts in 2011, leading the majors with 11 complete games, including four shutouts to help the Rays make the playoffs for the third time in four seasons. Farnsworth had a career-best 25 saves in his first season as a full-time closer. http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/7175582/tampa-bay-rays-exercise-options-james-shields-kyle-farnsworth
CC Sabathia has announced he is staying with the New York Yankees. Sabathia announced in a video that he and the Yankees have come to terms on a contract extension that will keep the husky left-handed ace from exercising his opt-out clause and testing free agency. The total deal is for five years and $122 million, which is instead of the four years and $92 million remaining on his original contract, a source familiar the negotiations told ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney. Sabathia will be paid $25 million in 2016, which is the final year of the new contract, the source said. The deal contains a vesting option for $25 million in 2017 with a $5-million buyout, according to the source. http://espn.go.com/new-york/mlb/story/_/id/7175711/source-new-york-yankees-cc-sabathia-reach-five-year-122m-deal
Yankees signed GM Brian Cashman to a three-year contract extension. The deal was agreed upon a couple of days ago, but the official announcement was delayed until after CC Sabathia's situation was settled. Cashman has helped the Yankees to three straight playoff appearances and a 2011 American League East title. He's happy in the role, and the Bombers' higher-ups are pleased with the regular season success. http://www.rotoworld.com/headlines/mlb/344777/baseball-headlines?r=1
Darvish is half-Iranian, but was born and raised in Japan. His Farsi name is Farid. His nickname is Daru, a shortening of the Japanese pronunciation of his surname, “Darubisshu.” He blogs and tweets in Japanese, but gave those up because of tough practices. He is the only pitcher in NPB history to assemble five-straight sub-2.00-ERA seasons. Old timers Masaichi Kaneda and Kazuhisa Inao each had strings of four consecutive seasons, but they did it in the deadball era of the 1950s. Darvish played ice hockey as a child. He established the Yu Darvish Water fund in 2007, and he supports it with JPY 100,000 (about $1,200) per win. Darvish donated JPY 50 million (about $600,000) to relief efforts following this year’s devastating Tohoku Earthquake. According to a tweet from Feb. 17, Darvish has “no interest whatsoever in cars” and he “doesn’t have a license.” In 2008, he referred to an exercise bike as his favorite car. He experimented with a “gyro-cutter” in his 2010 NPB All-Star appearance. He’s also tried a one-seam fastball. Darvish likes to throw lefthanded in spring training. According to Wikipedia, his entry song is Like Toy Soldiers, by Eminem http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/know-your-darvish
