Japanese star Yu Darvish signed a six-year, $126 million contract with the Cubs before the 2018 season, with escalators that could have raised that contract to $150 million. You all probably remember the “Daily Darvish” posts I published here in early 2018 in anticipation of Darvish’s signing.
Injuries and ineffectiveness marred his first year with the Cubs. After a slow start in 2019, he put together a string of 11 starts with a 2.44 ERA and 0.784 WHIP and in that span he walked six (!) and struck out 93. Then the Cubs pen failed him in his final two starts, where he walked one and struck out 25 in 15.1 innings, and the Cubs fell down one spot in the playoffs. During the pandemic season, Darvish has been great. He posted a 2.01 ERA in 12 starts, striking out 93 and walking only 14 in 76 innings, and finished second in Cy Young voting.
Advertisement
Then, as you know, the Cubs traded Darvish to the Padres (along with Victor Caratini, insisted by the Padres as Darvish’s personal catcher) for four prospects, only one of whom, Owen Caissie, ever played in the major leagues. (Zach Davies was also included in the deal with the Cubs, but he had a horrible season, one of the worst ever by a Cubs starter.)
Today, Darvish told the San Diego Union-Tribune that he was giving up three years and $43 million remaining on his contract, after undergoing elbow surgery in October:
“At the rate my rehab is going right now, I’m focused on getting through, not getting back,” he said late last month. “Right now, I’m not really thinking about the future. Just knowing what I’m thinking, I’m sure I’ll want to pitch again one day. All I’ve thought about in my life is baseball.”
Darvish missed half of the 2024 season due to elbow issues and a personal matter, but returned exceptionally well in the postseason. When he and Padres president of baseball operations AJ Preller spoke after this season, it was understood that Darvish would likely need elbow surgery at some point. Darvish said he made it clear at that time that he was considering “getting rid” of his contract.
“As far as leaving a lot of money,” Darvish said in a recent interview, “I consider it never mine to begin with, especially considering the money I haven’t physically earned yet.”
Darvish had a very good year in San Diego in 2022, posting a 3.10 ERA and 0.950 WHIP and finishing eighth in Cy Young voting. Overall, in five years with the Padres, he posted a 3.97 ERA and 1.100 WHIP in 115 starts. He made 51 starts for the Cubs in three years in blue pinstripes with a 3.60 ERA and 1.106 WHIP.
As you may recall, the Cubs were there when Darvish was brought in before the 2012 season, but the Texas Rangers won that bid and he played five years there, as well as half a season with the Dodgers in 2017, where he upset the Cubs in 2017. NLCS Game 3.
Advertisement
Assuming this is it for Darvish, his final MLB game will be Game 3 of the 2025 Wild Card Series against the Cubs last October at Wrigley Field, where he pitched a scoreless first inning, then the Cubs had four straight batters against him in the second. The last batter he faced was Pete Crow-Armstrong, who hit an RBI single (VIDEO).
I know many of you will note the Cubs’ pay cut of Darvish as a key moment in this part of Cubs history, and you are certainly right about that. I’ll also note that with the trade of Caissie to the Marlins for Edward Cabrera, the Cubs still have a chance to get something out of this trade tree. That’s it, I hope.
Overall, Darvish has made 297 MLB starts and posted 33.6 bWAR. He had a 3.65 ERA, a 1.138 WHIP, 2,075 strikeouts and 115 wins. Add to that 93 wins and a 1.99 ERA in 167 games (164 starts) with 1,250 strikeouts in seven years with the Nippon Ham Fighters in NPB and there’s a borderline Hall of Fame argument for Darvish.
Yu Darvish was a fun player to have with the Cubs when he was a member of the team. It’s a shame that he spent much of that time injured and lost his wages when he could still have helped the club. I wish him a happy retirement.
Advertisement
UPDATE: After the article was published in the San Diego Union-Tribune, Darvish posted it on social media. So we’ll see.
