Yu Darvish will pitch for the Padres into his 40s.
That’s San Diego’s ambitious hope after inking the right-hander to a six-year, $108 million extension Thursday, according to multiple reports. The deal will keep the 36-year-old Japanese star, who was set to become a free agent after this season, with the team through 2028 when he turns 42.
Darvish was already under contract for $18 million for 2023; now he’ll tack on five more years and $90 million to his contract. The structure also helps the Padres, with the third-highest payroll in baseball, against the luxury tax.
It also marks the third six-year deal of his career, with the other two coming with the Rangers and Cubs.
Darvish, a five-time All-Star, led San Diego with 16 wins to go with a 3.10 ERA and a team-high 197 strikeouts in 194 2/3 innings. He finished eighth in Cy Young voting.
He also helped lead the Padres to the NLCS last season, going 2-1 in the postseason, before they were eliminated by the Phillies in five games.
For his career, Darvish is 95-75 with a 3.50 ERA and 1,788 strikeouts over a dozen seasons. His 16 wins last year also matched a career high.
