During a recent conversation with the media, the general manager was asked about what to expect from Darvish in the short term, and Preller himself confirmed that while there is still no final decision from the player, both sides are working together to reach an agreement.

“We’re working through the process with him. I’ve had a lot of conversations with Yu throughout the offseason. I think he’s been super clear with what’s important to him,” Preller said, per 97.3 The Fan. “…He’s been clear from the beginning that he’s not going to do something his heart isn’t in to.”

He also added: “We’ll continue to work through it, continue to hopefully have a little more clarity here as we go through the next couple weeks.” It will be a matter of waiting the next few days to finally learn the decision Darvish will make about his career.

How much could the Padres lose without Darvish?

Yu Darvish’s potential retirement would be a devastating blow to the San Diego Padres, stripping the rotation of its most experienced veteran and a vital clubhouse leader.

Despite a 2025 season marred by elbow injuries that limited him to just 15 starts, a 5.38 ERA, and 72 innings, Darvish remained the team’s tactical anchor, finishing the year with 2,075 career strikeouts and a presence that mentored younger arms like Dylan Cease and Michael King.

Losing him means forfeiting not just his unique seven-pitch repertoire, but also a massive portion of the rotation’s stability, as he was expected to anchor the staff alongside Joe Musgrove.

Financially, while his departure would technically free up roughly $43 million in remaining contract obligations, the loss of his “ace” pedigree and legendary work ethic leaves a void in San Diego that no amount of payroll flexibility can easily replace for the 2026 season.

A recent report from Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune suggested that the possibility of a near-term retirement was real due to this situation. Darvish, however, took to social media platform X to clarify the matter.

“You may have seen an article, and although I am leaning towards voiding the contract, there’s still a lot that has to be talked over with the Padres, so the finer details are yet to be decided,” Darvish wrote on X.

“Also, I will not be announcing my retirement yet. Right now, I am fully focused on my rehab for my elbow, and if I get to a point where I can throw again, I will start from scratch again to compete. If once I get to that point, I feel I can’t do that, I will announce my retirement.”

What happened with Darvish?

Yu Darvish is expected to miss the entire 2026 season after undergoing significant elbow surgery this past November. The procedure, involved repairing a torn flexor tendon and placing an internal brace on his ulnar collateral ligament (UCL).

His recovery timeline is projected to be between 12 and 15 months, placing his potential return in 2027. While Darvish has expressed a commitment to his rehabilitation, there has been recent speculation regarding his future in the league as he weighs the rigors of recovery at age 39.

How much do the Padres lose without Darvish on the team?

The absence of Yu Darvish for the entire 2026 season leaves a massive void in the San Diego Padres‘ rotation, both in terms of leadership and statistical reliability. Losing him means the Padres must replace a veteran who, despite a rocky 2025 where he posted a 5.38 ERA and a 1.18 WHIP over 15 starts, remained a high-strikeout threat with an 8.5 K/9 ratio.

Without his presence on the mound, San Diego loses a pitcher with 115 career MLB wins and over 2,000 strikeouts, forcing the front office to rely heavily on a recovering Joe Musgrove and younger, less proven starters to keep their postseason hopes alive.

That perspective was underscored by one source cited in Acee’s article, who pointed to a deeply personal factor influencing Darvish’s thinking. As written by Acee, “A fourth source, while not explicitly saying the right-hander with a record 208 wins between MLB and Japan is calling it quits, said Darvish’s priorities after 21 years in professional baseball revolve around his family.”

Acee’s reporting also highlights how that priority manifests in Darvish’s everyday life, especially following elbow surgery that has sidelined him long term. “Among Darvish’s cherished rituals is playing catch with his sons. That was something he feared he would not be able to continue to do without surgery,” Acee wrote.

A decision bigger than baseball

As Darvish navigates rehab and reflects on two decades in professional baseball, the coming months may bring clarity not just about whether he can pitch again, but whether he wants to. Acee’s reporting suggests the conversation now centers on balance, between legacy, health, and family.

Darvish has given the Padres five years, starting in 2021 when he had one of his final seasons with 30 starts. But despite his retirement potentially being near, the situation is still unclear with the San Diego front office. A.J. Preller recently made only a brief reference to the Japanese star’s future.

“We’ve got some more questions for the future and what does (the surgery) mean for Yu,” Preller said during the General Managers Meetings. “He’s a pro, and we have a ton of respect for him. We’re gonna let him go through his process and keep talking to him in the next couple of weeks.”

Before his current stint on the injured list, Darvish compiled a strong 2024 season, finishing with a 7–3 record over 16 starts. Across 81.2 innings, the 13-year MLB veteran posted a 3.31 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, and held opponents to just 30 earned runs, striking out 78 while walking only 22.

His ability to control the strike zone and generate weak contact made him one of the more reliable arms in the Padres’ rotation. Getting him back could prove vital as San Diego aims to keep pace with the Los Angeles Dodgers in a tight NL West race.

Darvish’s injury update

“He’s had really good evals, he’s with the team on the road trip,” Preller explained. “He threw a bullpen in Houston and another one in Detroit. He’s starting to get some volume and he’s feeling good. I think he’ll continue to progress with bullpens and start getting back into games.”

This is the clearest indication yet that Darvish is on track to rejoin the active roster in the coming weeks, a development that could significantly impact the club’s postseason aspirations.

According to Jon Heyman, the Mets have parted ways with José Iglesias, who will now feature in the Padres’ Opening Day roster—a move widely anticipated due to the Cuban player’s undeniable skill. Iglesias appeared in 85 games last year.

He won’t be the only new face supporting Machado for Opening Day. Alongside Iglesias, players like Yuli Gurriel, Gavin Sheets, and Martín Maldonado were also fortunate enough to make the roster cut.

Iglesias has struggled to find long-term stability with a team in recent years. Between 2013 and 2018, he played consecutively for the Tigers, marking his longest stint with a single MLB franchise. However, he remained unsigned by any team during the 2023 season.

The Padres’ Offense Needs More Power

Last season, the Padres finished with a 93-69-0 record, reaching the NLDS before being eliminated by the Dodgers. Despite evident offensive struggles in Game 2, the team managed to set a franchise record for the most home runs in a single postseason game.

Machado contributed 77 runs and a .275 batting average—matching the number of runs provided by Jackson Merrill. However, the Friars will deeply miss their top run provider, Jurickson Profar, who is no longer with the team. Profar produced a total of 94 runs last year.

The Padres seemed to have certain advantages in the pursuit of Sasaki, particularly the close relationship between the young pitcher and San Diego’s Yu Darvish. However, Sasaki ultimately chose to join fellow Japanese stars Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto in Los Angeles.

Now, all eyes are on him as he transitions to the major leagues, where he will be expected to replicate the dominance he displayed in Japan. Adjusting to MLB, however, will be an entirely new challenge, requiring Sasaki to perform at his highest level against the best hitters in the world.

What has Darvish offered Sasaki?

Yu Darvish has already expressed his willingness to support Sasaki as he embarks on this new journey. “We’ll see how the season pans out for Roki,” Darvish said through interpreter Shingo Horie, according to Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Tribune.

“He may have some adversity that he needs to overcome, some hard times that he needs to overcome, and if he does reach out to me in those moments, obviously, I will give him the support that I can. I think it’s important to do that not only as a player but as a human being.” Darvish added.

What challenges will Roki Sasaki face in MLB?

Sasaki will encounter several challenges as he transitions to Major League Baseball. He must adjust to MLB’s faster-paced and more physically demanding style of play while facing hitters with greater experience and power than those he saw in Japan.

Additionally, he will have to navigate the intense media scrutiny and high expectations that come with being one of baseball’s most highly anticipated international signings. With the right support and adaptation, Sasaki has the potential to make a lasting impact in the MLB.

Following the tough defeat at Dodger Stadium, Manny Machado spoke to reporters about the team’s struggles to provide run support in the critical game. The Padres’ third baseman expressed his disappointment that neither he nor his teammates were able to back up Darvish, despite the pitcher’s strong performance.

“I mean, it’s bad that we didn’t give him any run support,” Machado said. “He threw the hell of a ball. I want to go down for him. He did a hell of a job keeping a good lineup over there on their toes, and we just couldn’t get any run support. It was devastating.”

Yu Darvish had a solid outing against the Dodgers, pitching 6.2 innings, allowing just three hits and two runs, both of which came from home runs. He struck out four and was relieved by Adam and Scott, who also performed well defensively.

Padres’ Offensive Struggles in Game 5

Unfortunately, the Padres’ offense struggled in the fifth game. Only Luis Arraez managed a hit, while big names like Fernando Tatis Jr., Jurickson Profar, and Machado himself were unable to contribute offensively.

The Padres had previously won a game at Dodger Stadium and another at Petco Park, but the offense stalled in Games 4 and 5, leaving them scoreless in both contests. Now, the team faces more than 20 innings without offensive production, a glaring issue as they look toward the future.

Multiple owners are reportedly going to try and cut expenses to mitigate the losses inducted by the pandemic, which means that Steve Cohen – who recently bought the New York Mets – could be one of the most aggressive guys in the upcoming market.

And according to Joel Sherman of The New York Post, Yu Darvish would be at the top of the Mets’ wishlist ahead of next season, especially with the Chicago Cubs reportedly set to move on from some of their stars.

MLB Rumors: Yu Darvish Could Join The New York Mets

“A sense persists that the Cubs want to dramatically lower payroll. Darvish (three years, $59 million) is the most expensive piece. They do not have a strong farm system, plus core positional pieces Javier Baez, Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo and Kyle Schwarber are all free agents after the 2021 season,” the report said.

“The Mets could take Darvish’s whole contract, plus they have a deep reservoir of cost-effective positional pieces such as Rosario, J.D. Davis, Jeff McNeil and Dom Smith whom the Cubs could peruse. Like Price in the Red Sox-Dodgers trade, Cohen could even absorb the $17 million owed the faded Craig Kimbrel to lower the prospect return,” Sherman concluded.

Darvish is coming off a career year with the Cubs, posting an 8-3 record with 2.01 ERA, 0.961 WHIP, and 93 strikeouts over 76.0 IP in 12 starts, and would be a major addition to an already impressive rotation of Jacob deGrom, Noah Syndergaard, and potentially Marcus Stroman.