"Padres had no intention of acquiring those two": Yu Darvish opens up about team's approach towards Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto

San Diego Padres starting pitcher Yu Darvish didn't like his club's laid-back approach to not go for fellow Japanese superstars Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto this offseason.

Darvish's frustration was more or less pointed at his organization, and he specifically called out the club's president of baseball operations, AJ Preller, on his radio.

"When I extended my contract, I checked with GM Preller to see if my contract would interfere with the acquisition of Ohtani and Yamamoto," Darvish said. "The Padres had no intention of signing these two and they both went to the Dodgers, so I'm sad."

However, Yu Darvish is hopeful that the club will help Yuki Matsui reach his potential.

"But we'll work hard with Matsui," Darvish added. "I'm going to cry and pitch if even Roki Sasaki goes to the Dodgers. Let's all become Padres fans now. Beat LA!"

Two-way phenom and reigning AL MVP, Shohei Ohtani, signed a blockbuster 10-year, $700 million deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Moreover, the Dodgers splurged big to acquire his fellow countrymen and sensational pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto for a 12-year, $325 million, and a $50 million signing bonus. After both acquisitions, the LA club is primed to contend for the World Series for years.

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Yu Darvish's contract with the San Diego Padres

Once a former Dodger, Yu Darvish agreed to a six-year, $108 million deal with the Padres ahead of the 2023 season. This deal will lock him up till his age 41 season. However, he failed to impress after the extension, going 8-10 with an ERA of 4.56 and 141 strikeouts in 24 appearances in 2023.

But Yu Darvish operates at an elite level and could easily bounce back in the 2024 season. As divisional rivals, he will face Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto on a regular basis, and we are in for good baseball for the next season.

The Padres are not looking like contenders for the 2024 season, after trading off Juan Soto and Trent Grisham to the New York Yankees, but you never know with this team.