Padres' Yu Darvish Seems to Not Yet Know If He's Returning Next Season

Aug 27, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; San Diego Padres starting pitcher Yu Darvish (11) walks off the field during a game against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images | Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images

Things did not go as planned for the San Diego Padres this season.

With all the momentum in the world heading into the 2025 campaign and a trade deadline that seemed to be president of baseball operations A.J. Preller's magnum opus, the season ended far too soon.

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A Wild Card series loss to the Chicago Cubs will surely sting through the offseason, but as Preller was seen doing on the diamond hours after the season ended at Wrigley Field, the only thing left to do is move forward and start working towards next season.

One of the moves in question involved Preller checking in with right-hander Yu Darvish, as the veteran's season ended with about as much uncertainty as he started it with.

Darvish went from the presumed Opening Day starter this past spring training to being limited due to fatigue to starting a lengthy stint on the injured list with elbow inflammation and finally making his 2025 debut in July.

Darvish is under contract through 2028, but at 39 years old, there are no guarantees on what 2026 will hold.

The San Diego Union-Tribune's Jeff Sanders reported that Preller has been talking to Darvish “quite a bit over the last week,” as Darvish is spending the offseason considering if he will pitch again next season.

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“We’ll keep talking to him over the course of the next couple of weeks to see what it all means for him," Preller said. "He’s a big part of the organization, and I think we’ll have more conversation here over the course of the next couple weeks, but it’s just really been the start of it overall.”

Darvish posted 72 innings of work this season with an ERA of 5.38. He could only go one-plus inning during Game 3 of the Wild Card series against the Cubs, allowing four hits and two earned runs in the process.

Darvish is a five-time All-Star and presents tons of value to the team off the mound as well. He is known for being a great teammate and person and is well-respected across the organization.

There is no telling what the future holds for the veteran, but it can be assumed that there are many members of the clubhouse that are rooting for Darvish to return in 2026.

For more Padres news, head over to Padres on SI.