Good Morning San Diego: Fans question Yu Darvish’s future with Padres; Sung-Mun Song signs deal

San Diego Padres fans have been watching Yu Darvish struggle with his health over the past two seasons, and they will not see him at all in 2026 after he had elbow surgery at the start of the offseason. Darvish spoke with members of the media during a recent Padres event at Ronald McDonald House in San Diego and his comments left some questions about him being able to finish the three years he has remaining on his contract. Gaslamp Ball asked readers if they expected to see Darvish return to the mound for San Diego and the overwhelming majority believe he will not. Clarity about his future with the Padres and in MLB should come as he progresses in his rehab following the surgery, but until that time, we can only speculate.

Padres News:

• Padres President of Baseball Operations and General Manager A.J. Preller likes to have projects. Last season he signed Gavin Sheets, who eventually made the big-league roster and performed well throughout the season. Sheets was a low-cost high reward option in 2025. Pitcher Triston McKenzie seems to be that kind of player for the 2026 season. Reuniting the lanky right-hander with Ruben Niebla could be a recipe for success for McKensie and the Padres.
• Free agent infielder Sung-Mun Song of the KBO signed a four-year, $15 million contract with San Diego. The deal was reported earlier in week but was not finalized until Sunday.

Baseball News:

• Japanese free agent slugger Munetaka Murakami has decided his MLB future for the next two seasons. It was announced Sunday that he agreed to a two-year, $34 million deal with the Chicago White Sox. Murakami had several MLB teams show interest in his services, but ultimately, he got what he was looking for in Chicago.
• The next position player from Japan, who is expected to sign with an MLB team is infielder Kazuma Okamoto. He is a better defender than Murakami and has similar power with fewer strikeouts, which makes him appealing to the teams who did not land Murakami.  
• Former Padres reliever Matt Strahm was traded from the Philadelphia Phillies to the Kansas City Royals earlier this week and since the trade reports have emerged that Strahm may have been moved due to conflicts in the clubhouse with “coaches and other team officials.”
• The Boston Red Sox and the St. Louis Cardinals agreed to a trade that will send first baseman Willson Contreras to Boston for pitcher Hunter Dobbins and two pitching prospects.