Yu Darvish's Agent Praised Padres GM For 'Personal Connection' With Client

Maren Angus-Coombs | Aug 28, 2024

Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports

Yu Darvish went down with an injury nearly seven weeks ago with a left groin strain. When a family matter arose he voluntarily went on the restricted list, instead of the injured list, after making a minor league rehab start.

San Diego Padres general manager A.J. Preller offered him the opportunity to go on the IL so Darvish could be paid his salary. Darvish declined.

Preller stayed in touch with Darvish weekly, but their communication wasn't always baseball-related.

“He’s a guy that’s as committed to the game of baseball and the sport as anybody I’ve seen,” Preller said. “So, for him to need to step away, that’s a pretty serious situation in terms of him not being able to come here and do something that he loves. From my standpoint and everybody, I think, in the organization, we just said, ‘Hey, let’s make sure we’re supporting him off the field and anything he needs there.’

Yu Darvish on when he made the decision to return to the Padres and why he thought it was important to go on the Restricted List rather than the IL: pic.twitter.com/VAcVfOdxMp

— 97.3 The Fan (@973TheFanSD) August 23, 2024

“Most of what we talked about was not baseball-related, but he would always end with, like, ‘Hey, I’m playing catch or I’m staying in shape, you know.' ”

Joel Wolfe of Wasserman Media Group is Darvish's agent and he praised the Padres executive for how he handled the entire situation.

“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 in an interview with The Athletic.

Darvish was the Padres' Opening Day starter and had a 3.20 earned-run average in 11 outings before going to the IL near the end of May. The Padres were six games above .500 and in the think of a pennant race.

“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.

“And on the flip side of it, A.J. 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. 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.”

Darvish was reinstated from the restricted list on Friday and was added back to the 15-day IL. His timeline remains unclear but he wouldn't be in the position he's in without the connection with Preller.