Yu Darvish’s agent denies his retirement (and the fact that he left $43 million on the table)

In the last few minutes, some journalists reported that Yu Darvish had officially decided to retire.

We know that he still has $43 million to go, that he won't be able to pitch in 2026 anyway due to injury , and that he's been toying with the idea for some time now.

But now, the agent of the principal interested party has come to rectify the situation.

Bob Nightengale, who first tweeted that the player was retiring and would therefore be leaving $43 million on the table, later added that, according to his agent, nothing had been officially decided and that it was a complex dossier. These are words that lead us to believe that it's not untrue, but not official.

Joel Wolfe, Yu Darvish's agent, responds: “Yu has not made a final decision yet. This is a complicated matter we are still working through .” https://t.co/UzKLrWL1Jt

– Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) January 24, 2026

Here's my theory: the pitcher has decided not to pitch anymore (injuries, age, and potential work conflict make it more difficult), but his agent (who can't confirm it if it's not official) is working on a way to ensure his client doesn't leave so much money on the table.

But in reality, don't expect Darvish to throw another shot in the Majors. I don't doubt it at the moment.

If this is indeed the end for Darvish, he will have been one of the greatest Japanese players ever. He pitched in Japan before coming to America to play with the Rangers, Dodgers, Cubs, and Padres.

He had a magnificent career.

This content was created with the help of AI.