“Can I pitch for another 4 years?”
The San Diego Padres signed a six-year, $108 million (approximately 137.2 billion won) contract with Yu Darvish on the 10th (hereinafter Korean time).
Darvish started his professional life after being nominated by the Nippon Ham Fighters in the first round of the 2004 rookie draft, and appeared in 167 games over seven seasons, recording a record of 93 wins, 38 losses, 1 hold, and an average ERA of 1.99, before challenging the major leagues. stuck out
Darvish moved to the Texas Rangers in 2012 and made a soft landing, going 16-9 with a 3.90 earned run average in his first season. And until 2014, he continued his steady performance by winning double-digit wins for three consecutive years in the big leagues. After that, Darvish went through the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs and wore a San Diego uniform.
Darvish, who had never recorded a double-digit victory since the 2017 season, regained his heyday form last year. Darvish pitched in 30 games and pitched 194⅔innings, recording a record of 16-8 with an ERA of 3.10, and was at the forefront of San Diego’s postseason debut. And after the season, he signed a long-term contract.
Darvish, 36, plans to play for San Diego until he’s 42. It is highly likely that he will finish his active career in San Diego. Darvish’s contract does not include an opt-out clause, but he can exercise his right to refuse trades with former clubs. 메이저놀이터
When did Darvish hear about a long-term contract from San Diego? According to Japan’s ‘Nikkan Sports’, Darvish said, “I was pitching in the bullpen in January, and general manager AJ Preller came to see it.” I asked,” he said.
Darvish couldn’t leave a clear answer to Captain Preller’s question. Darvish explained, “Because I’m old, I honestly replied, ‘I don’t know about four years.’ Then, a week later, General Manager Preller met with the agent and talked about a long-term contract.”
The performance Darvish showed last year was amazing. However, as he is not young, his long-term contract is a ‘double-edged sword’. However, Preller’s trust in Darvish was strong. General Manager Preller raised his thumb, saying, “If you look at Darvish’s training attitude in the offseason, you can see why he can produce the best performance in baseball.”
Continued, General Manager Preller said, “Darvish is a pitcher with a unique style. He has a variety of weapons, not just velocity and power.” added.
Darvish also said, “I didn’t think of a long-term contract at all. I didn’t have any thoughts, but the more I talked about it, the more I felt the club’s trust,” he said, revealing the background that led him to accompany San Diego for another six years.