Padres Extend Yu Darvish on a Six-Year, $108 Million Deal

The San Diego Padres have agreed to a six-year contract extension with veteran hurler Yu Darvish. The deal will pay him $108 million through 2028.

Darvish is a prototypical power pitcher, capable of ratcheting his four-seamer to elite velocity. He also possesses an array of pitches with a high feel for the baseball, allowing him to make adjustments on the fly.

1. Darvish will earn $18 million in 2023

Yu Darvish is set to finish his brilliant career in San Diego, and the Padres appear willing to pay him accordingly. According to Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune, the Padres have negotiated an extension with the veteran hurler that will keep him in San Diego through 2028.

Darvish is a big part of the reason the Padres reached the National League Championship Series last year, and his contract extension will help them maintain their winning ways in the years to come. He will remain a key piece of the rotation alongside San Diego native Joe Musgrove and Blake Snell, who both inked five-year extensions with the team earlier this summer.

A Japanese right-hander who has played for the Texas Rangers, Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs, Darvish has been a solid major league starter for 10 seasons. His age-35 campaign saw him pile up 194 2/3 innings of 3.10 ERA ball with strikeout and walk rates that were far better than league average.

He missed a good chunk of 2015 due to Tommy John surgery, but since then, he has been one of the game’s most durable starters. He hasn’t missed a start in more than four seasons and has logged at least 30 starts in each of the past three 162-game campaigns.

As part of his contract extension with the Padres, Darvish will earn $18 million in 2023. That’s a lot of money to pay in the early going, but it’s not as bad as it might sound given that San Diego is already over the luxury tax threshold for both 2021 and 2022.

2. Darvish will earn $18 million in 2024

San Diego and Yu Darvish have reached a contract extension that will keep the 36-year-old right-hander in San Diego through 2028. This deal is a big win for the Padres, who have a clear window for contention in the next two years while also seeking a long-term solution to their starting rotation.

It will put some distance between the team and the dreaded luxury tax, making it slightly easier for general manager A.J. Preller to tamp down that tax bill in the present and create some wiggle room for in-season acquisitions on the trade market.

This deal is also a big win for the 36-year-old Darvish, who was coming off one of his finest seasons as a major league starter. He threw 194 2/3 innings with a 3.10 ERA and 197:37 K:BB while also earning his fifth All-Star selection.

While he was on the DL for much of last season, Darvish has ascended back to form in Chicago and is set to be the best pitcher on the open market next winter when he becomes a free agent. He also has a strong relationship with manager Joe Caratini and is likely to want to stay in the city where he developed his skills.

While the deal with Darvish might seem risky, he will probably be a dominant force at his age in the near future and a good fit for a rotation that will have plenty of depth. Likewise, with Blake Snell entering his prime, it would be a smart move to extend him as well.

3. Darvish will earn $18 million in 2025

The Padres have added a second starting pitcher to their rotation in the form of Yu Darvish. According to a report, the right-hander will earn $18 million in 2025 and stay under contract until 2028.

The deal is team-friendly and a bit of a gamble, considering Darvish will turn 42 in 2020. The Padres will have to hope he can still be a top starter and pitch well into his late 30s while staying healthy.

He’s made a habit of being durable in his career, and this year’s pandemic-shortened campaign saw him make 194 2/3 innings with a 3.10 ERA, 2.95 FIP and a 27.8% strikeout rate. He’s posted an excellent fastball-to-ball ratio (95 mph average and above league average) since he’s been healthy, and he’s logged some impressive numbers against the left-handed bat.

But his ERA has slipped from its peak after a dazzling stretch in 2015 and 2016. His strikeout and walk rates have also risen from their post-Tommy John years, while his exit velocity has dropped from 94.5 to 83.5 miles per hour.

With two starters in place, the Padres are set for an exciting NL West race against a strong Los Angeles Dodgers squad. The addition of Darvish, who has long been one of the game’s best starters, is a big part of why this team is considered a threat in the division.

4. Darvish will earn $18 million in 2026

Yu Darvish is one of the top pitchers in baseball. He’s earned Cy Young votes in four seasons, including a runner-up finish in 2020. He’s also a hitter’s pitcher, posting strikeout and walk rates that are better than the league average.

He’s had a few injuries throughout his career, but he has stayed healthy enough to be a force in the NL. He helped the Padres reach the NL Championship Series last year, finishing 16-8 with a 3.10 ERA and 197 strikeouts in 100.1 innings.

While he doesn’t have as much ace-level talent as Stephen Strasburg, Darvish has some of the most electric stuff in the game. He’s also not afraid to go deep into games and he’s been very successful when he’s been healthy.

The Rangers traded for Darvish last summer in a deal that also saw them send Zach Davies and a package of prospects to the Cubs. It was a good move for both teams and a great way to cap off Jason Hoyer’s tenure as GM.

But it’s also clear that the Rangers have a limited payroll flexibility going forward. Despite the fact that Darvish has a high average annual value, a long-term deal like this would be a lot for them to absorb.

Hopefully, the Rangers can manage to sneak in an incentive-based option on the final six years of the contract. Otherwise, it’s likely they’ll have to backload the deal or defer a large portion of it.

5. Darvish will earn $18 million in 2027

The Padres are set to lock-in their veteran hurler Yu Darvish for the long term after he signed an extension that will keep him in San Diego through 2028, according to sources. The deal is six years, $108 million and includes no opt-out clause.

The 35-year-old has been one of the most exciting pitchers in the game when he is healthy. His CY Young numbers and strikeout rates are second to none, but his injury history is concerning.

It’s hard to imagine that Darvish will continue to stay healthy over a long-term contract without backloading it or deferring a significant amount of it after the fifth year of the deal. This is because Darvish has missed too many starts since his return from the disabled list and he’s prone to back and hip injuries.

With the recent crop of top starting pitching contracts, it’s clear that a long-term deal with Darvish could be an expensive move for the Rangers. With all the money they have already locked up in aging players, it’s tough to see them using their payroll flexibility on a pitcher who’s likely to miss time with an injury every few years.

This is why the Rangers will likely choose to play it safe and let Darvish walk in free agency. Then they can use the money they’ve saved to invest in their rotation, outfield and catching positions. Hopefully, that will allow them to build for the future.

6. Darvish will earn $18 million in 2028

The San Diego Padres have reportedly finalized a six-year, $108 million deal with veteran pitcher Yu Darvish. The deal will extend through the 2028 season, per multiple reports.

This is a team-friendly deal that will be incredibly beneficial for the club as it attempts to remain under the luxury tax threshold. It will also help the Padres maintain a solid starting rotation with Joe Musgrove inked to a five-year extension last summer and Darvish coming off a superb season.

Although he has Tommy John surgery back in March 2015, Darvish is a remarkably durable starter who has appeared at least 30 times in each of the past three 162-game seasons. He made all 12 of his starts in the shortened 2020 season and hasn’t missed more than four consecutive starts since then.

His performance last season was his best of his career, as he went 16-8 with a 3.10 ERA and a team-high 197 strikeouts in 194 2/3 innings. He was a key component to the Padres’ run to the NL Championship Series, going 2-1 in four postseason starts.

Darvish is also the only Japanese pitcher to have 3,000 career strikeouts, joining Hideo Nomo in that exclusive pitching club. This was a big reason for the Padres to get him locked up. He will be a valuable piece to the rotation for years to come, especially with the Padres preparing to shift some of their top relievers into full-time starters in 2023.