24 hours later ... still waiting

US Presswire photo

Several clubs placed bids for Yu Darvish, but we don't know which won yet.

UPDATE AT 9:08 P.M. -- It doesn't look like an announcement is coming anytime soon. Danny Knobler of CBSsports.com reports the Fighters aren't expected to make their decision until just before Tuesday's deadline. Could be a long weekend, folks.

It's now been 24 hours since the window for major-league clubs to post bids on Yu Darvish expired, and during that time we've learned ... well, not a whole lot.

The Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters have yet to reveal which club won the bidding rights for Darvish, or even how many clubs submitted formal bids before yesterday's 5 p.m. EST deadline.

The Fighters officially have until Tuesday to make their decision, though reports both from the United States and Japan last night suggested an announcement would come this morning. That, of course, has yet to happen.

Here's what we do know: At least four major-league franchises submitted bids for the 25-year-old right-hander. The Yankees and Cubs are definitely involved. The Rangers and Blue Jays are likely involved. The Nationals have not revealed anything in the last day about their role in all this, but given GM Mike Rizzo's favorable impression of Darvish and the club's desire to add another front-line starting pitcher, most believe they submitted a bid.

Besides, if the Nationals weren't in the mix, why has there been nothing but silence coming out of 1500 South Capitol Street in the last 24 hours?

Once the winning bid is made public -- it's expected to reach or even surpass $50 million -- that club will have 30 days to negotiate a contract with Darvish. If no deal is reached during that month-long window, the pitcher will return to the Fighters for another season and the major-league club will get its entire posting fee back.