Texas Rangers

Oliver headed to Toronto

Darren Oliver is headed to the Toronto Blue Jays. The veteran left-hander reached a one-year deal, according to sources.

Oliver, a left-handed specialist with the Texas Rangers the past two seasons, had expressed interest in returning to the team, as he lives in Southlake. But the Rangers never made a formal offer.

-- Drew Davison

Torrealba statement on winter league incident

Texas Rangers catcher Yorvit Torrealba issued the following statement through the team regarding his incident with an umpire during a winter league game on Friday:

"I wanted to express my sincere apologies to all parties for my actions during the Venezuelan Winter League game on Friday.  I have extended an apology to the Rangers organization as well.  I am embarrassed for my conduct, and personally relayed that feeling to the umpire after that night’s game.  On the field, I strive to be an example for children, especially those in my native Venezuela, and I regret my actions. I understand the reactions to the incident and will make every effort to set a positive example in the future."

Venezuelan League president Jose Grasso Vecchio announced on Twitter earlier Monday that the league had suspended Torrealba for 66 games -- which spans the rest of this season and next year.

Torrealba, playing for Leones del Caracas in his native Venezuela, is shown in a video striking out swinging, and then throwing his right hand up in exasperation toward the umpire. The umpire immediately ejects Torrealba, which leads to a face-to-face confrontation. After a few seconds, Torrealba punches the umpire's facemask with an open hand.

Torrealba signed a two-year, $6.25 million deal with the Rangers last off-season. He hit .273 with a career-high 27 doubles and 37 RBIs in 113 regular-season games. Torrealba's playing time diminished late in the season when Mike Napoli became the team's No. 1 catcher.

-- Drew Davison

Rangers aware of Torrealba, umpire incident in winter league

The Texas Rangers are aware and looking into an incident in which catcher Yorvit Torrealba hit an umpire in the face during a winter league game.

A video showing the incident circulated around the Internet on Friday night.

"[We're] aware, but we haven't got much info yet," Rangers general manager Jon Daniels said. “We will look into it.”

Asked if disciplinary action could be taken because it happened in a non-MLB game, Daniels said: “Depends on circumstances.”

The video shows Torrealba, playing for Leones del Caracas in his native Venezuela, striking out swinging, and then throwing his hand up towards the umpire. The umpire immediately ejects Torrealba, which leads to a face-to-face confrontation. After a few seconds, Torrealba is seen -- with an open hand -- pushing the umpire’s facemask.

Torrealba signed a two-year, $6.25 million deal with the Rangers last offseason. He hit .273 with a career-high 27 doubles and 37 RBIs in 113 regular-season games. Torrealba’s playing time diminished in the postseason when a red-hot Mike Napoli became the team’s No. 1 catcher.

-- Drew Davison

Wednesday's Rangers notes: Catcher Luis Martinez acquired from Padres; Signed Matt Kata to minor league deal

Here are a few Rangers notes from today:

* The team announced they have acquired catcher Luis Martinez from the Padres for right-hander Ryan Kelly. Martinez, who has been added to the 40-man roster, played in 22 games with San Diego last season. Kelly, a reliever, was 3-6 with a 3.95 ERA in 40 appearances for Class A Myrtle Beach.

With the addition of Martinez, the Rangers now have 37 players on their major league roster.

* Matt Kata has been signed to a minor league deal. Kata spent the entire 2011 season with the Rangers Triple A affiliate, the Round Rock Express.

* Clayton Kershaw and Frank Howard will be honored at the 2012 Texas Rangers Dr. Pepper Awards Show. Kershaw, last year's NL Cy Young winner, will receive the 2011 Texas Professional Baseball Player of the Year Award for the second time in the last three years as he also won in 2009. Howard, a former major league slugger, will be honored as the 2012 Mark Holtz Alumni Award recepient.

-- Drew Davison

Jon Daniels: 'Very exciting night' to land negotiating rights for Yu Darvish

Yu Darvish is coming to Texas. At least the Rangers are the only MLB team he can play for next season.

MLB announced late Monday night that the Rangers won the negotiating rights for the star Japanese right-hander. Yahoo! Sports reported the bid to be a record $51.7 million.

Now, Texas has a 30-day window to negotiate a contract with the 25-year-old Darvish. If a deal can’t be reached, the Rangers will not pay the posting fee.

“Very exciting night,” Texas general manager Jon Daniels said. “For our organization, our fans, our community, this is the first step in the process, but it’s an important one. We hope that it will end by signing Darvish to a contract.”

Daniels credited the ownership group, led by Bob Simpson, Ray Davis and Nolan Ryan, as critical in supporting the team’s desire to land Darvish.

The Rangers were visibly high on Darvish all of last season, sending several key members of the front office, including Daniels, to watch him in Japan. Daniels said the team has been scouting Darvish for three years, and was well aware of his talent.

“We’ve got a lot of great scouts,” Daniels said. “I did see him pitch [in Japan], but that wasn’t the only thing. I hadn’t been over there before, things of that nature. And we knew this was something we might get involved with.”

Darvish, a 6-foot-5, 215-pounder, throws a 92-95 mph fastball, and went 18-6 with a 1.44 ERA last season. He had 276 strikeouts and issued 36 walks in 232 innings. In Japan, Darvish won three strikeout titles and two ERA titles.

He is the third Japanese-born pitcher on the Rangers, joining relievers Koji Uehara and Yoshinori Tateyama.

Darvish will join a rotation that lost last year’s ace, C.J. Wilson, to the Angels. Closer Neftali Feliz is also set to join the rotation. Colby Lewis, Derek Holland, Matt Harrison and Alexi Ogando are all set to return, although one could be traded or moved to the bullpen.

Daniels wouldn’t speculate on how the Darvish signing affected the current rotation because the team hadn’t signed him yet.

“Obviously we’re hopeful we can sign Darvish,” Daniels said. “At that point, we’ll have a very good problem on our hands. We’ll sort through our options when we need to.”

The Rangers didn’t make a strong effort to sign Wilson this offseason, seeing him land with the Angels for a five-year, $77.5 million contract. That will likely be significantly less than the total package for Darvish.

Asked about why Darvish over Wilson, Daniels reiterated that the club had yet to sign the player. Daniels also declined to give his own scouting report on Darvish.

Daniels and the Rangers will now begin negotiations with Darvish’s representatives, Arn Tellem and Don Nomura.

“We were pleased to learn that the Texas Rangers were the high bidders for Yu Darvish,” Tellem said in a statement. “The Rangers are an extraordinary franchise in an exceptional city with equally exceptional fans. Yu is honored to be prized so highly and recognized as a once-in-a-generation pitcher. We look forward to getting negotiations under way.”

Prior to the Rangers bid, the Boston Red Sox set a record posting bid of $51,111,111 in 2006 to secure the negotiating rights for Daisuke Matsuzaka. Boston then handed Matsuzaka a six-year, $52 million contract to push the total amount to more than $100 million.

-- Drew Davison

Rangers win negotiating rights for Yu Darvish

The Texas Rangers won the negotiating rights for Japanese star right-hander Yu Darvish.

Yahoo! Sports reported that the Rangers submitted a record bid of $51.7 million for the rights.

Texas now has 30 days to negotiate a contract with Darvish.

-- Drew Davison

Rangers news (and no news) for Thursday

News: Derek Holland and the Rangers are in the early stages of working out a five-year contract extension that would take care of 2012, three arbitration years and his first year of free agency, according to a source. The left-hander went 16-5 last season and, at age 25, is part of the core group of players that club brass wants to keep together.

No news: The Rangers have taken the stance that they will not discuss their pursuit of Yu Darvish, the Japanese right-hander who was posted a week ago. Bids were due at 4 p.m. Wednesday, and at least one national report said that they made a bid. This comes only two days after club officials weren't sure they were going to even make a bid.

News, on a smaller scale: The Rangers have signed right-hander Fabio Castillo and catcher Chris Robinson to minor-league deals with invitations to spring training. The Rangers non-tendered Castillo on Monday, a move that removed him from the 40-man roster. Robinson has spent the past few seasons in the Cubs' farm system.

The Rangers also signed five players to minor-league contracts: LHP Kyle Fernandes, RHP Derek Hankins, LHP Zach Jackson, RHP Doug Salinas and OF Orlando Sandoval.  Hankins and Jackson pitched in the Rangers' organization in 2011. 

Darren Oliver, a free agent who spent the past two seasons with the Rangers, will receive the Jim Sundberg Community Achievement Award at the Dr Pepper Awards Show on Jan. 12.

News on a infant-sized scale: Left-hander Matt Harrison is a father. His wife, Meghan, gave birth Wednesday night to a girl, Addie Grace. "It was unbelievable," Harrison said.

-- Jeff Wilson

Rangers still team to beat in AL West

DALLAS – Ron Washington wasted little time dissecting who the favorites in the American League West would be.

“It goes through Texas,” Washington said. “We’re the two-time defending champions.”

Washington, along with several players, acknowledged that the Angels significantly upgraded their team with the signings of free agent first baseman Albert Pujols and starter C.J. Wilson. But those moves didn’t seem to faze anybody associated with the Rangers, who hosted a media lunch on Wednesday afternoon at the Hilton Anatole.

Michael Young could care less what team is projected to win the West, or if a more heated rivalry with the Angels develops because of the signings. In his mind, whoever the opponent is on a given night is the No. 1 rival.

“We have 13 rivals, we’re all playing for the postseason,” Young said. “Every win is big, especially in September. I’d say the same thing if the Angels didn’t acquire Albert and C.J. We know what it takes to win.”

Added David Murphy: “The Angels have gotten better, but I don’t see why they’re the team to beat when we’re the two-time defending AL champions.”

-- Drew Davison

Hamilton: Accountability partner update expected in next few days

Josh Hamilton and the Rangers are getting close to announcing an accountability partner for the 2012 season. Johnny Narron, an assistant hitting coach with the Rangers and Hamilton’s accountability partner, moved on to the Milwaukee Brewers to become their hitting coach this winter.

“We’re working on it,” Hamilton said. “I’m sure you’ll hear more in the next few days.”

Additionally, Hamilton said he continues to make progress following surgery to repair a sports hernia and will be 100 percent by spring training. His rehab has consisted of running and doing pool exercises.

And Hamilton addressed his contract status, as he is set to become a free agent next season. He wasn’t aware of any significant progress being made in terms of signing an extension, saying he lets his agent, Michael Moye, deal with it.

-- Drew Davison

Rangers to celebrate 40th anniversary in 2012

In 1972, the Washington Senators moved to Texas and became the Rangers. Next season marks the 40th anniversary of the Rangers in Arlington, and the team announced several promotions for it.

The team will have four games in which they wear "turn-back-the-clock" uniforms.

The four games are as follows (and the first 30,000 fans at each game will receive a 40th anniversary promotional item): 

Saturday May 12 vs. Los Angeles Angels -- 1974 white home uniform (giveaway is 1974 Rangers ballcap)

Saturday June 16 vs. Houston -- 1986 white home uniform (giveaway is Nolan Ryan retro T-shirt)

Saturday July 7 vs. Minnesota -- 1994 white home uniform (giveaway 40th anniversary mug)

Saturday August 11 vs. Detroit -- 1976 powder blue home uniform (giveaway powder blue T-shirt)

Outside of those four games, the Rangers will wear a 40th anniversary patch on the right sleeve of the team's white, blue, red and grey jerseys throughout the season.

Additonally, the team will be naming a 40th anniversary all-time team selected in fan balloting to be honored on Saturday, August 11.

-- Drew Davison