Padres’ latest brutal ranking lands one veteran on MLB’s worst contracts list for 2026

A San Diego Padres veteran got buried on a list of MLB’s worst contracts for 2026, and no one needed long to guess who it was. Bleacher Report’s Zachary Rymer highlighted Yu Darvish’s deal as one of the ugliest on the books for next season, and as uncomfortable as that sounds for Friars fans, it’s hard to argue.

On paper, the extension never looked outrageous. Six years and $108 million for a pitcher with Darvish’s track record and stuff reads like a bargain compared to what frontline arms routinely get. The problem, as Rymer pointed out, is timing. The Padres didn’t sign 30-year-old Darvish to carry them through his prime; they locked in age-36 through age-41, betting that a pitcher with a long medical file would keep beating the aging curve. 

Bleacher Report ranks Yu Darvish’s 2026 deal among MLB’s worst contracts

Since pen hit paper, the downside has shown up in a hurry. Darvish was a below-average arm in 2023, and he’s only managed 31 regular-season appearances over the last two years while dealing with a carousel of issues, including more elbow trouble that pushed his 2025 debut back to July. Now he’s set to miss all of 2026 following another major elbow surgery, turning that $18 million salary into pure dead money for a team that can’t exactly shrug at sunk costs.

That’s what lands the contract on a “worst in baseball” list. It’s not just the dollars; it’s the complete lack of expected return next season. The Padres don’t get innings, they don’t get trade value, and they don’t get flexibility.

None of this erases what Darvish has meant to the franchise. He was a legitimate ace during the 2022 run, has been a pro’s pro in the clubhouse, and his talent is still undeniable when he’s actually on the mound. There is a world where he makes it back in 2027, age-40 and stubborn as ever, and gives the Padres a feel-good final act.

But Rymer’s analysis is about 2026, not storybook endings. Right now, Darvish’s deal functions exactly like the kind of contract every front office fears: big money committed to an injured, aging arm with no realistic short-term payoff. As harsh as it sounds, burying this contract on a worst-deals list isn’t overreaction — it’s just an honest assessment of where things stand for the Padres.