San Diego Padres: Breaking News, Rumors & Highlights

Why Padres pitcher Yu Darvish voiding contract would be ‘pretty rare’

The San Diego Padres are navigating an unusual offseason situation involving Yu Darvish, as questions surrounding his contract, injury status, and potential retirement continue to unfold.

Features

The Morning Bark

The Quiz of the Day

Padres prospects poorly regarded among pundits

As of today, there are 15 days until San Diego Padres pitchers and catchers report to Peoria, Ariz. for their physicals prior to the start of Spring Training.

San Diego Padres News / San Diego Padres on SI / January 26

One Trade Candidate the Padres Should Target From Each Division Before Spring Training

Another day, and still no notable additions for the San Diego Padres this offseason. The free-agent market is winding down, and with just a few weeks before spring training begins, the Padres have three options left: find a way to sign Framber Valdez, enter the regular season with a downgraded roster, or land an impact player via trade.

Ethan Salas News / Gaslamp Ball / January 26

Ethan Salas sees his stock, rankings fall in Keith Law’s 2026 Top 100 MLB prospects list

Ethan Salas plummeted 53 spots on Keith Law’s 2026 Top 100 MLB prospects list that was released by The Athletic, Monday. The 19-year-old catching prospect from Venezuela was the only San Diego Padres prospect to make the list, which is reflective of just how depleted the San Diego farm system is.

Cleveland Guardians News / Yardbarker Quizzes

The 'MLB active doubles leaders' quiz

How many of the active MLB players with 300 or more doubles in their career can you name in five minutes?

The '2025 MLB hits leaders' quiz

The 'Cleveland's 1997 World Series roster' quiz

The 'Most multi-HR games by MLB team' quiz

San Diego Padres News / San Diego Padres on SI / January 26

Ranking Every Giveaway on the Padres 2026 Promotional Calendar

It’s a good day to be a bobblehead collector in San Diego, as the Padres released their promotional schedule for the 2026 season. The calendar features 18 free items for the first 40,000 fans in attendance for many key games across the schedule.

MLB News / Yardbarker

The 20 most significant MLB Rule 5 draftees

The Rule 5 draft, held annually at the winter meetings in December, never garners much fanfare, but it has been known to yield some noteworthy transactions.

Samad Taylor News / San Diego Padres on SI / January 26

Previewing the Padres Bench After the Samad Taylor Signing

General manager A.J. Preller bolstered the Padres’ bench with the signing of Mariners speedster Samad Taylor to a minor league contract. The 26-year-old dominated at Triple-A Tacoma last season, posting 17 home runs and 44 stolen bases while driving in 86 runs.

MLB News / Total Pro Sports / January 26

MLB Analyst Drops Bold Prediction on Padres-Cubs Third Basemen

The San Diego Padres reached the MLB playoffs last season for the fourth time since third baseman Manny Machado joined the team in 2019. But they disappointingly went out against the Chicago Cubs in the Wild Card round on this occasion.

Luis Arraez News / Total Pro Sports / January 26

MLB Rumors: Padres Could Pull Off The Perfect Deal To Replace Luis Arraez

The San Diego Padres’ offseason has been pretty bleak. The franchise is dealing with ownership issues, and they lost Dylan Cease in free agency to the Toronto Blue Jays.

San Diego Padres News / San Diego Padres on SI / January 25

Three Ways the Padres Can Open Up Payroll Space to Sign Framber Valdez

The entirety of the Padres’ offseason has been built around speculation. Outside of a few important re-signings and the addition of Sung-Mun Song, general manager A.J.

Manny Machado News / San Diego Padres on SI / January 25

Pressure Is Building With Manny Machado Set for Massive Raise In 2027

Before the blockbuster trades and postseason runs, there was just one player willing to try to build something special in San Diego. That player was franchise legend Manny Machado.

Fernando Tatis Jr. News / Athlon Sports / January 25

Padres' Fernando Tatis Jr. Sends Message to MLB Free Agent on Sunday

The San Diego Padres are looking to retain their positioning as a contender heading into the 2026 MLB season, but limited payroll flexibility has led to a more underwhelming offseason from the front office.

MLB News / Yardbarker

The 25 greatest pitching seasons from the modern MLB era

America's favorite pastime has more memorable performances than any sport. As such, figuring out which pitchers had the best seasons ever is no easy task.

San Diego Padres News / San Diego Padres on SI / January 25

Padres Quietly Add One of the Fastest Players in the Minors

The Padres have signed utility man Samad Taylor to a minor league contract ahead of spring training in February. Taylor will have a chance to earn a spot on the Padres’ MLB roster out of camp or position himself for a midseason call-up.

Yu Darvish News / Field Level Media / January 25

Yu Darvish denies retirement rumors, 'leaning' toward voiding deal

Yu Darvish acknowledged that he is "leaning towards" voiding his current contract with the San Diego Padres. The Japanese right-hander, however, made it clear that he is not retiring from baseball at this moment.

Click here to get Yardbarker's Quiz of the Day emailed to you!

The 'MLB active doubles leaders' quiz

The 'NFL undrafted receiving leaders' quiz

The 'NFL tight end receiving leaders' quiz

The 'Last 100-catch season by team' quiz

Yu Darvish News / San Diego Padres on SI / January 25

Three Free Agents the Padres Should Target in 2027 If Yu Darvish Retires

Padres starter Yu Darvish revealed yesterday that he will retire if he can’t comfortably recover from the torn UCL he suffered last season. With Darvish owed more than $45 million over the next three seasons, his retirement would open significant payroll space in San Diego.

San Diego Padres News / San Diego Padres on SI / January 24

Padres Honor Randy Jones With No. 35 Patch

The Padres have announced they will wear patches displaying No. 35 during the 2026 season in honor of late franchise legend Randy Jones. The tribute allows Jones’ legacy to be remembered in San Diego after he passed away from complications related to throat cancer in November.

San Diego Padres News / Gaslamp Ball / January 24

The 2026 projections are in for Padres

It’s a good thing the baseball season is still two months away. San Diego Padres president of baseball operations/general manager A.J. Preller has plenty of time to upgrade the roster before the start of the new season.

San Diego Padres News / Yardbarker / January 24

Yu Darvish decision can make drastic impact on San Diego Padres

Yu Darvish is in a position that could have a significant impact on the San Diego Padres.

Darvish may walk away from $43 million

Darvish responds to retirement report

25 current MLB players who will end up in the Hall of Very Good

The 'A.L. and N.L. strikeout leaders' quiz

MLB News / San Diego Padres on SI / January 24

Blockbuster Mock Trade Sends Byron Buxton and Joe Ryan to San Diego

Time is ticking, as it’s now or never for general manager A.J. Preller to make a big move that salvages the offseason. San Diego doesn’t have the payroll flexibility to add any remaining notable free agents, and many of the team’s trade targets have already gone elsewhere.

San Diego Padres News / Total Apex Sports / January 24

SP Yu Darvish Mulling Retirement At 39 Years Old

In a shocking turn of events, Yu Darvish is mulling retirement ahead of the 2026 season at 39. He is considered an icon among Japanese players who have followed him to MLB.

San Diego Padres News / MLB on ClutchPoints / January 24

Analyst predicts Padres’ Manny Machado will have ‘better year’ than Alex Bregman

With the San Diego Padres surrounded by rumors this offseason as the team looks to bolster itself for a successful 2026 season, the franchise is no doubt led by star Manny Machado.

Manny Machado News / Athlon Sports / January 20

Padres React to Manny Machado Announcement on Tuesday

The San Diego Padres are heading into the 2026 MLB season looking to extend the team’s current contending window. Expectations have cooled as San Diego’s payroll flexibility has been limited this offseason compared to recent years.