Former Cubs Cy Young finalist Yu Darvish is suddenly considering retirement

When Yu Darvish walked off the Wrigley Field mound after allowing a pair of early runs to the Chicago Cubs in the winner-take-all Game 3 of the NL Wild Card Series on Oct. 2, nobody saw it as the end of the road for the big right-hander.

But after undergoing UCL surgery to address an elbow issue that plagued him all season long, Darvish isn't sure if he'll throw another pitch, saying he would return if he felt he could take the ball and compete in 2027, which would be his age-40 season.

“I’m not necessarily thinking about really pitching, as I go through this rehab process right now,” Darvish said through an interpreter. “I don’t have that in my mind. I’m just trying to just rehab my arm right now. 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. But I’ll just leave it there for now.”

Yu Darvish has pitched for the Rangers, Dodgers Cubs and Padres

Darvish, who signed a massive six-year extension with the San Diego Padres in 2023, still has three years and $46 million left on that deal - money that, should he decide to retire, would be forfeited in its entirety, unless he and the team works out some sort of buyout.

Of course, Darvish's San Diego stint began on the heels of the 2020 season when the Cubs traded him to the Padres in exchange for a package of four prospects, including Owen Caissie, who made his big-league debut with the Cubs this season. The move was immediately criticized as a salary dump given Darvish was coming off a runner-up finish in NL Cy Young voting and looked to have finally settled in as a Cub after a rocky start.

Chicago initially signed Darvish to a six-year, $126 million deal in Feb. 2018 and things went sideways almost immediately amidst sky-high expectations. He made just eight starts before getting shut down for the rest of the season after undergoing right elbow surgery. He was much improved in 2019, but hit his stride during the shortened 2020 season, notching eight wins and working to a 2.01 ERA in a dozen starts.

In five seasons with the Padres, injuries and ineffectiveness have been the tale more often than not, with Darvish eclipsing a 2.0-bWAR campaign just once, back in 2022. That ill-fated six-year, $108 million extension followed the next spring - and it's safe to say the Friars certainly hoped for more. Since the start of the 2023 season, he's made just 55 starts and has been a slightly below-average pitcher.

If this is the end, Darvish has had quite the career between his time in Japan and stateside. He debuted with the Texas Rangers in 2012 and is a five-time All-Star and two-time Cy Young finalist.