Three Free Agents the Padres Should Target in 2027 If Yu Darvish Retires

Padres starter Yu Darvish revealed yesterday that he will retire if he can’t comfortably recover from the torn UCL he suffered last season. With Darvish owed more than $45 million over the next three seasons, his retirement would open significant payroll space in San Diego.

Given that Darvish is waiting to see how his rehab progresses, that money likely won’t be used this offseason. However, general manager A.J. Preller would have a sizable budget opening in 2027 should Darvish ultimately hang it up.

Here are three free agents the Padres could target with Darvish potentially coming off the books next offseason:

Shota Imanaga

The Cubs left-hander would be a natural fit for San Diego’s pitching staff. As currently constructed, the Padres project to feature four right-handed starters, with J.P. Sears as the lone lefty at the back end. Barring a surprise emergence from Sears, adding left-handed production figures to be a top priority next offseason. San Diego is simply too easy to match up against with a righty-heavy rotation.

Imanaga would also fall into a reasonable price range, with his next contract expected to land between $15 million and $20 million AAV. Using the salary space created by one Japanese starter to sign another, younger and arguably a better long-term fit, would make sense.

While he’s not coming off his best season, Imanaga has established himself as one of the better left-handed starters in baseball. In 2025, he threw 144.2 innings with a 3.73 ERA and a 4.86 FIP. His true upside showed during his rookie campaign in 2024, when he posted a 2.91 ERA and a 3.72 FIP across 173.1 innings, earning an All-Star selection.

If the Cubs can get production anywhere near that range again, the signing would be a win. The key will be Imanaga proving he can deliver another solid season before reaching free agency.

Tyler Stephenson

With a projected contract around $8 million per year, Stephenson would represent the Padres’ largest investment at catcher in the last decade. He’s not a superstar, but for a team that's forgotten what above average offensive production from catchers looks like, his hitting abilities would be a welcomed addition.

Stephenson has posted an OPS above .730 in each of the last two seasons, including a strong 2024 campaign in which he hit 19 home runs with a 113 wRC+. A major factor in this decision will be the development of prospect Ethan Salas.

Salas recently fell off MLB’s top 100 prospect list, and if he takes another step back, Preller may be forced to spend at catcher. If Salas reemerges as the long-term answer, this move becomes less necessary.

The inexpensive salary would also leave room for an additional signing, allowing the Padres to further capitalize on the potential Darvish opening.

Jazz Chisholm Jr.

This is the kind of flashy addition that would bring the electricity back to San Diego. Just imagine Slam Diego with Chisholm's bat flips and lefty pop.

Projecting his contract is difficult, but if he repeats his 2025 production, it could land in the $20 million to $30 million AAV range - slightly above budget, but justified for a player of his quality.

Chisholm dominated in 2025, finishing with more than 30 home runs and 30 stolen bases while posting a 126 wRC+. He’d slot naturally into the top-four of a lineup featuring Fernando Tatis Jr., Jackson Merrill and Manny Machado as alternating lefties and righties.

There’s still a long way to go, as Darvish has not made a final decision. But if he does void his contract, next offseason could shape up to be far more exciting for the Padres.