https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/2026/01/24/padres-pitcher-yu-darvish-set-to-retire/

[UPDATE]: Yu's agent Joel Wolfe and Yu Darvish denies the article.

Wolfe: “Yu has not made a final decision yet. This is a complicated matter we are still working through.”

Darvish: "You may have seen an article, and although I am leaning towards voiding the contract, there’s still a lot that has to be talked over with the Padres so the finer details are yet to be decided. Also I will not be announcing my retirement yet. Right now I am fully focused on my rehab for my elbow, and if I get to a point where I can throw again, I will start from scratch again to compete. If once I get to that point I feel I can’t do that, I will announce my retirement."

31 comments

  3. Yu Darvish does not plan to pitch again in the major leagues.

    The 39-year-old right-hander, who has been one of the best starting pitchers of his era, has told the Padres he will retire with three years and $43 million remaining on his contract.

    Darvish underwent surgery in October to repair a torn UCL and flexor tendon in his right elbow. That was after he spent much of last season sidelined, starting just 15 regular season games (72 innings) plus Game 3 of the Padres’ Wild Card Series against the Cubs.

    He said recently that he is focusing on time with his family and making sure his body recovers.

    “The way my rehab is going now, I am focused on getting right, not on coming back,” he said late last month. “Right now I’m not really thinking too much about the future. Just knowing the way I think, I’m sure I will one day want to throw again. All I’ve thought about in my life is baseball.”

    Darvish missed half of the 2024 season due to elbow issues and a personal matter but came back to pitch exceptionally well in the playoffs. When he and Padres president of baseball operations A.J. Preller spoke after that season, it was with the understanding that Darvish would likely need elbow surgery at some point. Darvish said he made it clear at that time he was considering “getting rid of” his contract.

    Now, a year later, Darvish and others involved in the process have said some details have to be worked out in terms of how much of the remaining money he will forfeit. But multiple people familiar with the process said any buyout would involve Darvish giving up the bulk of what he would be owed and that the Padres are set to realize a significant savings over the next three years. That money is intended to be used to help make the team better.

    “As far as leaving lots of money,” Darvish said in a recent interview, “I look at it as that was never mine to begin with, especially considering the money I haven’t physically earned yet.”

    Even as he contemplated this move, which seemed inevitable for months, Darvish remained a regular presence at Petco Park.

    He sat in on talks with free agents. He attended the news conference announcing Michael King’s contract agreement.

    Those around Darvish say the trust between the pitcher and Preller has impacted every decision Darvish has made, including the one to retire.

    “Yes,” Darvish said recently. “And Peter. Especially Peter.”

    Peter Seidler was the Padres’ chairman when Darvish was awarded a six-year, $108 million contract in January 2023.

    “They gave me the contract, and that year everything changed,” Darvish said, referring to Seidler’s death in November 2023. “Peter’s desire was always to win the World Series. I want to do what I can to help that.”

  5. He’s walking away from his money. $16M saved this year. $43M overall

    Edit: bulk of the contract but not all.

  7. Much love to him. I will value the years we got to watch him pitch in a Padres uniform. He’s one of the greats, and I hope that his combined success across NPB and MLB drives him to Cooperstown in a Padres hat.

  14. Will always remember him touching the PS patch before game 5 of the 2024 NLDS. So proud he was a Padre.

  15. I ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ YU; godspeed, you stoic wizard of the mound. Hope the Org can chain him to Niebla; with Yu’s consent, of course.

  16. Class act all the way through. Even in his final years of his career, had amazing outings and gave so much back to Peter and the organization. An honor to call him a Padre and watch him play the game.

  20. What a privilege it was to watch Darvish on the mound in brown and gold. Truly an artist, and one of most noble and kind athletes across all sports.

    I’m beyond proud that Yu Darvish was a San Diego Padre

    🥺

  21. Hopefully the Padres FO offers Yu a cushy coaching job once Yu is healthy and wants to be involved in baseball activities again

  23. What he is doing is unheard of. He was already one of my favorite padres of this generation but this cements him as my favorite.

  24. The money saved is nice, but more importantly I hope he sticks around the organization for a long time. He was a great pitcher and is a tremendous resource the pitchers, even the hitters as well. He also just seems like a good person which is even more important. He took Peter’s goals for the team to heart and I think he truly cares about the team and the community. I’ll be hoping to hear an announcement of a formal title for him soon.

  26. I’m not crying, you’re crying.

    I couldn’t be happier to know that I got to watch Yu Darvish pitch and retire a Padre.

  30. His agent responded and said “He’s still yet to make a final decision.” and that “It’s complicated.”

  31. Kevin my boy, what’s up with this shit reporting. The agent and player deny it? Come on, blew your load to early buddy.

Leave a Reply