2 options for the Padres and how they handle Yu Darvish in 2026

San Diego Padres veteran starting pitcher Yu Darvish appears to be on the declining end of his career.

In 2023, he made 24 starts, finishing with an 8-10 record and a 4.54 ERA. In 2024, he improved his ERA back to 3.31, but only managed to make 16 starts and throw 81.2 innings. In 2025, his ERA ballooned to 5.38, and he was only able to toss 72 innings in 15 starts.

It feels like the 39-year-old is running out of time. That leaves the Padres with a problem, however. Darvish is still under contract, and will be through the 2028 season. He is owed $16 million next year, and then is owed $15 million in both 2027 and 2028.

It feels highly unlikely Darvish will still be starting games for the Padres in 2028. In fact, he probably should not be guaranteed a spot in the 2026 rotation, despite the money he's owed the veteran presence he holds.

Two options for how the Padres should handle Yu Darvish in 2025

1. Explore a Darvish trade to reset San Diego’s 2026 plan

That might sound a bit harsh, but the Padres best choice might be to find a way, any way, to get Darvish out of the building.

What would that look like?

It could mean trading him in a salary dump, packaging him with a younger player or some prospects, just to move off the contract. There is probably a team out there that would take a chance on Darvish and a couple of prospects. However, it would feel like a dissapointment to offload Darvish along with other players. Is there a better option?

The team could also try to lure Darvish into retirement, which would allow them to possibly spread the $46 million he's owed over a longer period of time. Or they could cut Darvish, and eat the money.

2. Move Darvish to the pen as a multi-inning weapon

If the Padres do want to salvage some value out of Darvish, they could try moving him into the bullpen. With three years left on his contract, it feels like it is too early to cut Darvish and eat the money. At least for one more year, why not give the veteran a chance to reinvent himself in the bullpen.

Could Darvish be a solid multi-inning reliever? Absolutely, he could. It would also allow San Diego to keep him fresh in case they do need an emergency starter, or if they need to stretch him back out to join the rotation when injuries happen.