Padres News: Yu Darvish Was Worried Contract Offer Was ‘A Prank’

Nothing is official until pen hits paper and Darvish wasn’t sure what to believe.

Padres starting pitcher Yu Darvish was one of the players San Diego locked in this offseason, extending him to a six-year contract worth $108 million. He was finally healthy again last year and shined in the postseason, starting four games and allowing no more than three runs in those starts.

The general reaction around the MLB world was that this extension was well deserved and would soon be followed by more moves by the Padres to succeed in the future. However, Darvish’s interpreter revealed in a press conference following the signing that the 36-year-old was worried he was being fooled.

"He still doesn't believe if this is true or not, maybe it’s a prank."

- @faridyu's interpreter, Shingo Horie 😂

Glad to have you here, Yu! pic.twitter.com/HRuOXDPeV4

— Bally Sports San Diego (@BallySportsSD) February 10, 2023

Having bounced around from four teams since 2017, this has to be a breath of relief for Darvish. He is now committed to a franchise in the Padres that has World Series aspirations and will pay him until he is 42.

Being a seasoned vet in this league, Darvish contains many tools that a younger team like San Diego would want him to pass down. His leadership, experience, and focus all have been results of his at-times bumpy career.

“I'm just tremendously honored to be in their plan," Darvish said. "Obviously, this organization is going the right way as far as winning games and just being considered as part of that piece is very comforting."

Darvish also shared that he has built a foundation of trust with the franchise. He will likely be granted an even bigger role this coming season.

“You really feel the appreciation, the trust that they (the organization) have for me," Darvish said. "That's a big deal to me. That means a whole lot to me. That's probably a big reason why I decided to stay here."

In his press conference, he admitted that he felt he was nearing the end of his career. But now he'll be Friar for a long time.