On Thursday, the San Diego Padres locked up one of their top starters in veteran right-hander Yu Darvish.
The team signed the 36-year-old to a six-year, $108 million contract extension.
After a rough first season in San Diego, Darvish bounced back in 2022, winning 16 games and posting a 3.10 ERA in 30 starts and 194.2 innings of work.
The five-time All-Star began his career with the Texas Rangers and later made brief stops with the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Chicago Cubs.
This morning, MLB analyst Jon Morosi appeared on MLB Network’s Hot Stove morning show to discuss the Darvish extension and what it means for the Padres going forward.
Yu Darvish and the @Parents have agreed to a 6-year extension!#MLBNHotStove | @jonmorosi pic.twitter.com/FpszUdW1zo
—MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) February 10, 2023
Morosi talked about how the extension is one that is team-friendly.
The Padres are keeping him at a good and affordable price.
Morosi also mentioned that perhaps the Padres were thinking that by extending him, they would assure themselves of an anchor in their starting rotation.
Essentially, that is what the Padres have done.
Assuming Darvish finishes out the deal, this will also mean that he will have spent the majority of his career with the Padres.
He spent parts of seven seasons with the Rangers and three with the Cubs.
Darvish of course began his career in Japan before joining the Rangers in 2012.
Morosi suggested that by signing with the Padres long-term, Darvish has fully adapted to Major League Baseball and feels comfortable pitching in the United States.
He mentioned that Darvish takes a lot of pride in learning the MLB culture and has worked hard to adapt to the league.
If Darvish makes it through the sixth year of his deal, the Padres will have him under contract through his age-42 season.
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Yu Darvish Gets A Nice Salary Right Away in 2023
