Right-hander Yu Darvish and the San Diego Padres are in agreement on a six-year, $108 million contract extension, sources told On The Inside on Thursday.
Darvish was set to become a free agent for the third time in his career at the end of this upcoming season. The new deal has a full no-trade clause and will run through the 2028 season, when Darvish will be 42 years old. Although the average annual value of the contract is $18 million, which is $3 million less than he previously earned annually, San Diego benefits from the structure of the contract, as it helps them avoid the luxury tax, despite having the third biggest payroll in baseball.
The five-time All-Star is 95-75 with a 3.50 ERA in 10 major league seasons as well as finishing as a Cy Young runner-up two times. He initially signed a six-year contract with the Texas Rangers in 2012, followed by a similar six-year deal with the Chicago Cubs in 2018. Last year, he was traded to the San Diego Padres and subsequently signed another six-year contract. In his second season with the Padres, Darvish recorded a record of 16-8, with a 3.10 ERA and 197 strikeouts, leading the team in both categories. On the way to the Padres’ NL Championship Series run, he won two of his four postseason starts.