Yu Darvish is coming off his second quality season with the Padres, with his 2022 campaign representing a step beyond his solid 2021 numbers. This season, Darvish posted a 3.10 ERA, an above-average 25.6% strikeout rate and an outstanding 4.8% walk rate over 194 2/3 innings, while continuing to post one of the best fastball spin rates of any pitcher in baseball. Yesterday, the right-hander stepped up big in Game One of the NL Wild Card Series, allowing one run in seven innings in San Diego’s 7-1 win over the Mets.
Though Darvish turned 36 in August, the Padres have already seen enough to want to explore a contract extension with Darvish this offseason, according to Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune. Darvish is entering the final year of his current deal — the six-year, $126MM free agent pact he signed with the Cubs prior to the 2018 season.
When triceps tendinitis limited Darvish to only 40 innings (of 4.95 ERA pitching) in 2018, there was already some concern in Wrigleyville that the signing could be a bust. However, Darvish rebounded to post a 3.98 ERA over 178 2/3 innings in 2019, and his 2.01 ERA over 76 innings in the shortened 2020 season earned the righty a second-place finish in NL Cy Young Award voting. As the Cubs were entering a rebuild period, they traded Darvish and catcher Victor Caratini to the Padres for a five-player package and some significant salary relief.
Other than the hip and back problems that resulted in a pair of brief IL stints late in the 2021 season, Darvish has been pretty healthy since that abbreviated 2018 campaign. Only 10 pitchers threw more than 194 2/3 frames in 2022, and that total was also the second-highest innings count of Darvish’s 10 Major League seasons. Of course, Darvish’s career workload doesn’t just include MLB, as he tossed 1268 1/3 innings in Nippon Professional Baseball before coming to North America and tossing 1488 regular-season innings.
It’s probably safe to assume that the Padres aren’t looking for another long-term pact for Darvish, and Acee notes that Darvish hasn’t given any indication about how much longer he wishes to keep playing. However, adding another season (or even two) may fit into the club’s interest if they’re confident Darvish can keep producing into his late 30’s. Mike Clevinger, Sean Manaea, and Nick Martinez are free agents this winter, but the Padres kept one major arm off the market when they inked Joe Musgrove to a five-year, $100MM extension back in August. Musgrove, Darvish, and Blake Snell project as San Diego’s top three starters heading into 2023, though Darvish and Snell are both only under contract through next season.
Extending Darvish would give the Padres a bit more rotation security going forward, even if a new deal covered only 2024 or 2025. San Diego exceeded the luxury tax threshold in both 2021 and 2022, but quite a bit of money will be off the books after the 2023 season, which is presumably when a Darvish extension would begin. If a new deal overwrote the final year of Darvish’s current contract, that could give the Padres some more immediate luxury tax breathing room for 2023. Darvish is owed $18MM in 2023 but his tax number is $21MM, the average of $126MM divided over six seasons.
We’d like Yu to come back…
2 years/$42M seems like a good deal, a fair deal. Basically the same literal value, but also a relative discount by not accounting for inflation or current salary trends. Makes it an 8 year/$168M deal, which keeps it a good value on both sides.
$45-50 million.
How does a 2 year deal make it an 8 year deal? There’s like zero logic in that
Because he’s currently on a six year deal. Two plus six.
Oh okay, I see what you mean now. I didn’t know the context.
2 years 200 million.
I’ll see you 200 million & raise Yu $1billion! Isn’t this exciting!!!!
We aren’t too far apart…we can make this deal…you say 1,000,000,000, I say 200,000,000…..How does 3 years at 750,000,000 strike you? Lets get this deal done! YU is counting on US!
Nyuk, nyuk, nyuk
I thought Us was depending on Yu?
I’m confused, where’s Mo?
Hey hey….YU are on 1st I am on 2nd!!
I don’t know, he’s on third
And Who is up to bat
Yu should get paid more than Scherzer. But $50 mill for 2 more years might get it done. It would be the same salary/yr as Musgrove.
$25M is not the same as $20M.
He’s not injured enough for a lucrative contract… If he goes in for an unnecessary TJ surgery in December, that’ll give AJ Preller the needed incentive to guarantee a 5-year/$150M contract with a full no-trade clause.
If he was due for TJS they certainly would’ve included him in this years trade with Twins
More like the Red Sox and Marlins would have included him in the Pomeranz, Paddack and Cashner trades!
No need for an extension. Play the final year out, and see what happens. They have to worry about Soto yet. Yu will be 37 and you still have the qualifying offer to hang over his head.
We are taking AJ Preller here, no room for logic
Should lock up Soto before spending any big money.
Why? He is under contract for next season and will be 36.
Sounds like Preller being Preller and looking for more ways to blow money. Overpay for everyone and everything.
He IS 36.
I think it’s a good idea to sign him but if the Padres don’t win soon they will be in a heap of trouble for years to come.
If he signs an extension before end of the WS would it affect his luxury tax hit? Maybe the Padres are trying to sneak under the tax this year lmao
I’ve read that they want to replace his last year with a new extended contract to replace his luxury tax number.
Everyone is saying 2 years, so it’s more likely that 3 years with an option gets it done.
There’s no reason for the Padres to do this. If Yu gets hurt next year in the final year of his contract after signing an extension Preller gets fired.
This is just a dumb filler article that won’t amount to anything.
Preller getting fired for accomplishing what he’s told? Ha ha ha no.
2/47.5 mutual option for a 3rd year or a $2mil buyout.