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For some months now, the Padres have been in a delicate situation. The club, which has been above its weight class in terms of payroll for the past few years, seems to have an increasingly nebulous future.
The death of Peter Seidler, who owned the club, really changed everything: he was more willing to take risks than his successors.
All this means that, at the moment, it looks as if the club may have missed its chance. At least, the window seems to be closing.
Are we nearing the final stages of the Padres contention window? pic.twitter.com/v5bCNe9GcW
– Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) December 15, 2025
The club, for example, has let Dylan Cease and Michael King go, two big pieces of its rotation that it hasn't been able to pay for. And you get the feeling that sooner or later, the other big contracts in town are going to handcuff the Padres.
And as if things weren't bad enough already, Yu Darvish could also be leaving the club for good. The veteran, who will miss the entire 2026 season, really doesn't sound like someone who intends to return to MLB one day.
He'll come back if he feels like it and feels capable, basically.
“If I get the urge to come back, if I feel that I can stand on the mound and come back, then I will go for that.”
Padres' Yu Darvish not sure if he will pitch in big leagues againhttps://t.co/3i80vjsnRS
– Kevin Acee (@sdutKevinAcee) December 15, 2025
Darvish, now 39, is under contract until the end of the 2028 season. At best, then, he'll return to the mound at age 40 in 2027… and that's assuming there won't be a labor dispute then.
Because yes, that could be an issue in his case.
It really feels like we shouldn't rule out the possibility of Darvish and the Padres coming to an agreement on the terms of a contract buyout, as Kevin Acee notes in his piece for the San Diego Union-Tribune. Darvish's current contract gave him most of the money up front, so he might consider hanging up his glove.
And we shouldn't rule out the possibility that Darvish will finish his career by pitching a season or two in his native Japan. If he doesn't really believe in the Padres' chances in the next few years, pitching closer to home could become interesting.
So we'll see if Darvish ends up back in the MLB eventually. But when you listen to him talk, there's real reason to doubt it.
That would be another tough blow for the Padres.
- Minor signing for the Blue Jays.
Blue Jays Sign Michael Plassmeyer To Minor League Deal https://t.co/fkSB8JH5Pe pic.twitter.com/puW7KZFaAK
– MLB Trade Rumors (@mlbtraderumors) December 15, 2025
- Justin Bruihl DFA in Toronto.
https://twitter.com/KeeganMatheson/status/2000709490128080952
- Boston is on the move.
https://twitter.com/i/status/2000718230692757937
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