The San Diego Padres and right-handed pitcher Yu Darvish have reportedly agreed on an extension that will keep him with the club through 2028, according to MLB.com reporters AJ Cassavel and Mark Feinsand.
The reported six-year, $108 million deal comes after one of Darvish’s best seasons. The vet is 36 years old and will be 42 during the final year of the deal.
Prior to this extension, Darvish was to hit free agency after the upcoming season. With his extension’s average annual value at $18 million, the deal could help the Padres with luxury tax issues. The team has the third-highest payroll in baseball and maintains Darvish at $3 million less than the annual average of his previous contract.
Darvish’s age is reportedly not a concern for the Padres, as his stats show no signs of decline. His most recent campaign featured a 3.10 ERA in 194 2/3 innings, his second-highest season total since joining MLB in 2012. He led the Padres in strikeouts (197) and wins, finishing 16-8. He went 2-1 in four postseason starts during San Diego’s run to the National League Championship Series.
The five-time All-Star is 95-75 in 10 major-league seasons. Playing for the Padres, Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Dodgers and Texas Rangers, Darvish has recorded a 3.50 ERA with 1,788 strikeouts. He finished as the Cy Young runner-up in 2013 and 2020.
He had Tommy John surgery with the Rangers in March 2015, missing the entire season and a substantial chunk of 2016. In his 2018 season with the Cubs, he was limited to 40 innings due to a triceps injury.
He was traded to San Diego after the 2020 season and has made consistent appearances since then. He made all 12 of his starts during the shortened 2020 season and appeared at least 30 times in his past three full seasons. Paired with last summer’s five-year, $100 million extension with Joe Musgrove, the Padres will have two solid starting pitchers to lead the rotation this season.