Yu Darvish contract details: Padres sign pitcher to surprising extension

Pitcher Yu Darvish was set to become a free agent after the 2023 season. Instead, the San Diego Padres signed the starter to a long-term contract extension.

The San Diego Padres had quite the eventful year. They were able to acquire superstar outfielder Juan Soto at the trade deadline last season, and they signed former Boston Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts to an 11-year, $280 million contract in free agency. This is a team that was three wins away from reaching the World Series for the first time since 1998, and they made a move to try and maintain the success they had in 2022.

On Thursday, MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand and AJ Cassavell reported that the Padres and starting pitcher Yu Darvish agreed to terms on a new, long-term contract extension that prevents him from hitting free agency at the end of this upcoming season.

Let’s take a look at the details of the contract.

Yu Darvish contract details: Padres retain starting pitcher on long-term extension

According to Feinsand and Cassavell, Darvish’s deal is for six-years and runs for a total of $108 million. With this deal, he is scheduled to make an annual salary of $18 million per season. The contract officially runs out after the 2028 campaign, where he will be 42-years-old.

Darvish was entering the final season of the six-year, $126 million deal that he received from the Chicago Cubs ahead of the 2018 campaign. He was dealt to the Padres after the 2020 campaign, the very season in which the Padres made it to the National League Division Series.

Let’s take a look at Darvish’s stats in his first two seasons with the Padres:

• 2021: 8-11 record, 4.22 ERA, 1.094 WHIP, 199 strikeouts, 44 walks, 166.1 innings pitched
• 2022: 16-8 record, 3.10 ERA, 0.950 WHIP, 197 strikeouts, 37 walks, 194.2 innings pitched

With the Padres preparing for a huge 2023, they decided to lock-in one of their top starting pitchers for the foreseeable future.