The Texas Rangers reached an agreement on a six-year, $60 million contract with Japanese pitcher Yu Darvish on Wednesday afternoon. The deal was finalized just before the deadline, which came 30 days after the Rangers won his exclusive negotiation rights by submitting a $51.7 million posting bid. Darvish wanted to hit the free agent market one season earlier under a five-year deal, while Texas pushed for a six-year agreement. They met in the middle with the contract containing two different performance thresholds that will allow him to opt out of the sixth year if he so chooses. If Darvish wins the American League Cy Young award and finishes in the top four of the voting a second time over the next five years, the option kicks in. With the agreement in place, Texas has paid close to $112 million to add Darvish to their starting rotation. The comparisons to the Boston Red Sox and Daisuke Matsuzaka are inevitable given the common country of origin and the amount of money spent to bring him to the MLB. The Red Sox parted with $103 million to negotiate with and sign Matsuzaka back in late 2006. In five Major League seasons, Matsuzaka has gone 49-30 with a 4.25 ERA in 105 starts for the Red Sox. He has averaged 8.21 strikeouts per nine innings and 1.89 strikeouts per walk while surpassing the 170-inning mark just once. Matsuzaka was 26 when he threw his first Major League pitch, while Darvish will be 25 when he debuts for the Rangers. Matsuzaka came to the MLB with more experience, but also more miles on his arm. He was 108-60 with a 2.95 ERA in eight seasons with the Seibu Lions, but he pitched more than 200 innings in just two of those years. Darvish was 76-28 with a 1.72 ERA and threw more than 200 innings in four of his five seasons with Nippon Ham. Not only is Darvish coming to the MLB with fewer innings accumulated, but he is also built more like an American workhorse. He is 6-foot-5 and weighs roughly 185 pounds. His build compares to Matsuzaka’s, but his frame is much larger. Matsuzaka is barely six feet tall. Darvish comes younger, with three fewer professional seasons, better numbers and a stronger physical presence. Could he flame out like his predecessor? Absolutely, but on the surface he appears like a better candidate to succeed. With close to 300 words on Darvish/Matsuzaka in the books, it’s time to delve into how he fits with the Rangers, how the Rangers fit him and what it means in the standings and for the team’s payroll. Texas has made back-to-back World Series appearances, but they lost both. Spending the money to sign Darvish shows how serious the Rangers are about remaining a contender and also improving their chances in the World Series should they return. Unfortunately for both the Rangers and Darvish, anything less than a World Series title will be considered a failure, especially since Texas essentially had to choose between Darvish and Prince Fielder. If it takes time for Darvish to adapt to the Major Leagues and Fielder hits 50 home runs this season, there will be a lot of second-guessing in Arlington. The average annual salary of Darvish’s deal, $10 million, can be considered either exorbitant or affordable. He is far from a sure thing, with a tremendous adjustment coming personally and professionally, which makes an eight-figure annual salary risky. However, if you look at the highest-paid pitchers from last season, Darvish would slide into the mid-30s in terms of rankings. When it comes to value, he can easily produce more than Carlos Zambrano ($18.8 million), Barry Zito ($18.5 million), A.J. Burnett ($16.5 million), John Lackey ($15.9 million) and Matsuzaka ($10.3 million). On the other hand, Jon Daniels and Nolan Ryan could have gone another route by courting someone like Edwin Jackson or Hiroki Kuroda. The trouble with that? Kuroda will be 37 next month and would have only boosted their rotation for a season at the same annual price. Jackson, meanwhile, is still on the market because he wants more than anyone has been willing to give him at this point. He is also three years older than Darvish and his career numbers (60-60 and 4.46 ERA) aren’t exactly sparkling. Using Darvish as your No. 2 or even No. 3 starter for his first season would be ideal, but with C.J. Wilson going to the Angels, Texas needs him to be at least their No. 2. Colby Lewis is expected to be the Opening Day starter with Darvish, Derek Holland, Matt Harrison and Neftali Feliz falling in line behind. Feliz will be transitioning from a top reliever to starter, while Holland and Harrison were better than many gave them credit for in 2011. The Rangers also have the luxury of depth in Alexi Ogando and Scott Feldman. The risk Texas took on Darvish is a calculated one. Like when the Red Sox added Matsuzaka, the Rangers are trying to win World Series titles, not simply add another horse to their rotation. For all of Matzusaka’s struggles and injury woes with Boston, he did help deliver a championship in 2007. If Darvish helps Texas get back to the World Series, he’ll have recouped a majority of their investment, even if he isn’t as effective as he was in Japan. Grade for Rangers: B+ For Darvish, joining a proven perennial contender makes sense. He didn’t have a choice when it came to who won his negotiating rights, but he certainly could have landed in more difficult situations. New York, Boston or even Los Angeles would have brought more pressure than Texas, even with World Series aspirations equally strong. Grade for Yu Darvish: A- He didn’t get the five-year deal he preferred in contract talks, but can shave a year off of his six-year contract if he performs at the same level he has in Japan. If he flames out, he’s employed for six years. If he dominates the American League West, he’ll hit the market in the winter of 2016 at the still young age of 30 as perhaps the top pitcher.