Longtime major-leaguer and current Padres starter Yu Darvish is contemplating retirement. A report from Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune indicated that Darvish was retiring. Darvish’s agent, Joel Wolfe, refuted that report. “Yu has not made a final decision yet. This is a complicated matter we are still working through,” said Wolfe (link via Alden Gonzalez of ESPN).
Darvish addressed the situation through a statement on his X account. “Although I am leaning towards voiding the contract,” he said, “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.”
The 39-year-old right-hander is owed $43MM over 2026-28 from the extension he and the Padres signed in April 2023. If he retires without reaching a settlement, he would forfeit that money. As Darvish indicated, he and the Padres may be working on a buyout that would see him keep some portion of his salary while giving the team significant cost savings over the next three years.
More to come.