At 36, Yu Darvish will be serving the final year of a six-year, $126 million contract he signed with the Chicago Cubs in 2018. The Padres are reportedly interested in giving him a contract extension.
Of course, Darvish won’t have a six-year deal again. But a one-year, or even two-year contract is a possibility. Despite the Padres paying the luxury tax in 2021 and 2022, they will spend less (for now) after the 2023 season, just in time for an extension for Darvish. In 2023, Darvish will receive $18 million from the Padres, but, on the payroll, it will be $21 million that will be registered.
In 2022, Yu Darvish pitched 194.2 innings, averaging 3.10 RBI, a .950 WHIP, 16 wins and 8 losses. WHIP is the number of walks and hits per inning pitched.
At the Padres, a few pitchers are nearing the end of their contracts, including Mike Clevinger, Sean Manaea and Nick Martinez, and will, in all likelihood, join the player market this year. The Padres have already signed a pitcher heading into that market, Joe Musgrove, who signed a five-year, $100 million contract.
At this point, the top three San Diego Padres starters in 2023 will be Darvish, Musgrove and Blake Snell. Snell and Darvish will need new contracts after next season. Will the Padres and Darvish agree on a contract extension before the start of 2023?
If so, the amount that will appear on the payroll for Darvish will decrease, thus freeing up money for the Padres, who could spend it on another player or not spend it, thus avoiding exceeding the salary cap. .
To be continued…
