In an offseason that’s already seen them spend nearly $400 million on big-league free agents, the Padres made another nine-figure commitment on Thursday—this time for a player who was already on the roster.
San Diego has reportedly agreed to a six-year contract extension with starting pitcher Yu Darvish, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan. The deal is worth $108 million and will keep Darvish with the Padres through the 2028 season, when he’ll be 42 years old.
Darvish, 36, was traded to the Padres ahead of the 2021 season. He was an All-Star that year and finished eighth in voting for the National League Cy Young Award in ’22. Last season, he made 30 starts with a 16–8 record and a 3.10 ERA.
It’s been a busy offseason for the Padres, who earlier this winter signed shortstop Xander Bogaerts to an 11-year, $280 million contract. The team also reached agreements with reliever Robert Suarez (five years, $46 million), pitcher Nick Martinez (three years, $26 million) and infielder Matt Carpenter (two years, $12 million).
