Yu Darvish has signed a six-year extension with the San Diego Padres, the club announced Thursday, taking him through the 2028 season, when he will turn 42.
With the veteran right-hander set to hit free agency after the upcoming season, San Diego opted to lock him up with the deal worth a reported $108 million, according to MLB.com.
A five-time MLB All-Star, Darvish was the Padres' Opening Day starter last season, going 16-8 with a 3.10 ERA in 30 starts. He also went 2-1 in the postseason.
He will join his Samurai Japan teammates in Miyazaki later this month in preparation for the March 7-21 World Baseball Classic, where Hideki Kuriyama's squad will aim to bring the trophy back to Japan for the first time since 2009, when Darvish also played.
The former Nippon Ham Fighters ace has 188 wins in his combined Japanese and major league career. He became the first Japanese player to lead the majors in wins in 2020 as a member of the Chicago Cubs, prior to joining San Diego in a major offseason trade.
He has posted a 95-75 MLB career record with a 3.50 ERA and 1,788 strikeouts in 242 career starts between the Texas Rangers, Los Angeles Dodgers, Cubs and Padres.
