Darvish secured, what's next for the Padres?

SAN DIEGO -- Sitting at the dais in Petco Park's fourth-floor auditorium, Yu Darvish took a moment to look up from the assembled media and team officials and gestured toward his view of downtown San Diego.

Fresh off signing a six-year extension, Darvish had just been asked if he could wrap his mind around potentially finishing his career here -- eventually spending more time as a Padre than a Ranger, more time as a Padre than even a Nippon Ham Fighter. He intoned a few words in Japanese to interpreter Shingo Horie, who laughed.

"He still doesn't believe this, if this is true or not," Horie said. "Maybe it's all a prank."

A sentiment Padres fans can surely relate to.

To be clear: It is very much not a prank. It's all real. Darvish has a home in San Diego for the next six seasons. The Padres, meanwhile, continue to invest in what they feel is a wide-open championship window.

"This is a top-class organization," Darvish said. "You really feel the appreciation, the trust that they had for me. That's a big deal to me. That meant a whole lot to me. That's probably a big reason why I decided to stay here."

Here are three takeaways from the press conference Friday announcing Darvish's extension:

1) The Padres say it’s obvious: Darvish is worth the gamble
It was Darvish who first approached the Padres about the possibility of a deal that would end when Darvish will be 42. There are, of course, risks that come along with committing $108 million to a pitcher in his late 30s.

"If you see the work he puts in in the offseason, the attention to his craft, there's no secret sauce for why he's one of the best performers in the game," general manager A.J. Preller said. "He's incredibly curious, he loves the game, and he works like he's the 26th man on the roster, when he's as good as any pitcher in the game of baseball."

In essence, Preller said, if you’re going to commit sizable money to an aging starting pitcher, it should be someone like Darvish. Beyond the intangibles, Preller also noted Darvish’s artistry on the mound. His ability to adapt and evolve have allowed Darvish to flourish late in his career.

Sure, Darvish has a high-90s fastball, but he’s never been reliant on that velocity. If it fades, he’ll do what he’s always done: dig into his deep, elite pitch mix to get hitters out. Sure, technology and scouting reports are evolving. Darvish is at the forefront of that evolution, craving every morsel of information.

“I just want to go as far as I can go,” Darvish said. “I’m just going to push myself as hard as I can. One thing I can say is that the preparation is always going to be there. The hard work is always going to be there.”

2) A common goal
Darvish has accomplished an awful lot across a professional career that spans two continents and countless accolades. Lacking on that resume? A World Series.

And, yes, that too is part of why Darvish committed to San Diego for six seasons.

The Padres are also searching for that elusive first title. They’re slated to embark on perhaps the single most highly anticipated season in franchise history. But the Padres remain adamant that they’ve built a sustainable, long-term contender, and Darvish is an integral part of that.

“I’m just tremendously honored to be in their plan,” Darvish said. “Obviously this organization is going the right way. Just being considered as part of that, as a piece, it’s very honoring.”

Preller says it was a no-brainer:

“When we get elite talents, guys that on and off the field exemplify what we’re looking for from a work standpoint and a leadership standpoint, we’re going to do everything we can to keep them here in San Diego.”

3) Next up: Machado?
Darvish isn’t the only Padres superstar slated to become a free agent after the 2023 season. Manny Machado can opt out of the remaining five years and $150 million on his contract, and it seems likely he’d do so.

If it gets that far.

The Padres and Machado have both expressed interest in potentially renegotiating that deal into an extension that would solidify Machado’s long-term future in San Diego. Machado discussed that possibility at FanFest last weekend. On Friday, Preller addressed the subject.

“We've talked,” Preller said. “We talk to Manny all the time. It's a real good relationship with Manny, and obviously he's a huge part of our franchise. So, I talk to him all the time. … He's expressed an interest in being here. We've expressed an interest in him being here. We'll see how it plays out.”