Padres A.J. Preller Calls Yu Darvish 'Unique' For Willingness to Surrender Salary While Injuried

Valentina Martinez | Aug 25, 2024

May 15, 2024; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres starting pitcher Yu Darvish (11) applauds in the dugout during the seventh inning against the Colorado Rockies at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports / Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports

Six weeks and six days. That's how long Yu Darvish voluntarily went without pay during his leave of absence from the San Diego Padres.

In July, Yu Darvish chose to be placed on the restricted list while he was dealing with a private family matter. San Diego Padres general manager A.J. Preller gave Darvish the option to remain on the injured list so the pitcher could continue being paid his salary, but he declined.

“And on the flip side of it, A.J. [Preller] gave Darvish every opportunity in the very beginning to go on the 60-day (injured list), which I think every other player I’ve ever represented would have done," Joel Wolfe of Wasserman Media Group told The Athletic. But Darvish said, ‘No, I’m not going to do that,’ because of the promise that he had made to Mr. (Peter) Seidler and A.J. when he signed his contract. He just didn’t feel it was right to collect the money if he wasn’t fully committed to the rehab and coming back. That’s why he placed himself on the restricted list. I’ve never seen that before, either.”

Wolfe and Preller couldn't remember another instance where a player on the restricted list requested to stop receiving compensation.

“That was a unique one for me,” Preller told Dennis Lin of The Athletic.

Darvish has a $108 million contract with San Diego, but he received none of his salary when he made the atypical decision to go on the restricted list.

The unprecedented move saved the Padres approximately $4 million, according to The Athletic.

Preller made the effort to call Darvish once a week just to check in with the pitcher. It was never a business call.

“It’s one thing to know a player, but to really take the time to listen and understand and be a true friend … you just don’t see very often that type of personal connection between front office executives and players,” Wolfe said.

“You think about what the natural reaction would be for a general manager when you have a guy who was at the top of your rotation. And everything that he has invested both in the player and his team,” Wolfe said. “And never once, not one time, did (Preller) ever try to apply any pressure to him and make Darvish feel like he was letting anyone down, letting his teammates down, or that he had any sort of obligation."

Preller and Darvish have known each other for more than a decade when Preller was a front office executive for the Texas Rangers in 2012.

The unique situation is a testament to the character of both Preller and Darvish. Some things are just bigger than baseball.