Padres Ink Yu Darvish to Six-Year, $108-Million Contract Extension
Yu Darvish appears destined to finish his professional career with the San Diego Padres after signing on for six additional seasons.
The 36-year-old, previously set to become a free agent following the 2023 season, agreed to a six-year deal worth $108 million on Thursday, according to MLB.com’s AJ Cassavell. His contract includes a full no-trade clause and carries an $18 million average annual value.
Darvish will be 42 years old when his new deal expires after the 2028 campaign.
As part of Darvish’s extension, both sides agreed to tear up the final season of his previous six-year, $126-million contract, saving the Padres $3 million against their luxury tax bill. The team’s projected Collective Balance Tax payroll currently sits at roughly $287.3 million, the third-highest in baseball.
The first season of Darvish’s contract will be front-loaded, paying the right-hander $30 million in 2023. He will make considerably less over the final five years, though, earning $15.6 million each season through ‘28.
While Darvish didn’t complete his previous contract, he’s moving onto the third six-year deal of his career – his first came with the Texas Rangers in 2012, before receiving his second from the Chicago Cubs in ‘18.
The five-time All-Star, acquired by San Diego from Chicago in a 2020 off-season blockbuster trade, has been an impact performer since arriving to the Gaslamp District over two years ago. He leads the team in strikeouts (396), wins (24) and fWAR (7.2) since 2021.
Darvish made 30 starts last season, posting a 3.10 ERA, 3.49 xERA, 3.31 FIP and a 4.2 fWAR – the third-highest of his career – across 194.2 innings. The 6-foot-5 righty also registered a 20.8 percent strikeout-to-walk rate difference and a 9.6 percent home-run-to-fly-ball ratio.
Amid the Padres’ 2022 postseason run, the two-time Cy Young finalist earned a 2.88 ERA while racking up 23 punchouts in 25 innings over four starts, winning two of those outings. He received a no-decision in Game 5 of the NLCS – the final contest of San Diego’s season – after tossing six innings of two-run ball.
At 36, extending Darvish through his age-41 season carries plenty of risk for the Padres, who also signed shortstop Xander Bogaerts to an 11-year, $280-million contract earlier this off-season. They also re-signed reliever Robert Suarez to a five-year deal worth $46 million.
General manager A.J. Preller also brought in complementary players like Seth Lugo (two years, $15 million), Matt Carpenter (two years, $12 million), Nelson Cruz (one year, $1 million) and Adam Engel (one year, $1 million). And he also re-signed Nick Martinez (three years, $26 million).
The Padres, still searching for their first World Series trophy, might not be finished conducting business this winter as Manny Machado can opt out of his 10-year, $300-million contract after 2023, with Preller likely determined to extend his superstar third baseman.
In the meantime, the top end of San Diego’s starting rotation is solidified long-term, as Darvish and Joe Musgrove – who received a five-year, $100-million extension last July – are signed through at least 2027.
-Thomas Hall
Twitter: @ThomasHall85
Photo: D. Benjamin Miller. This file is made available under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication.