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The story
Padres pitcher Yuki Matsui (31) has decided not to exercise the opt-out clause he held this offseason, meaning he’ll stay for the remaining two years of his current five-year deal. His salary will be $6.5 million (about ¥1.024 billion) in 2027 and $7 million (about ¥1.103 billion) in 2028, bringing the total for the final two years to roughly ¥2.127 billion. On the forum, opinions split between those calling the deal “cheap for his performance” and others arguing it’s “actually overpriced” given his 0.4 WAR, while many posts cited his attachment to San Diego and uncertainty over the looming December labor negotiations (lockout) as reasons for staying.
It was learned on the 1st that Padres pitcher Yuki Matsui (31) will not exercise the opt-out clause he held this offseason and will remain with the team. He’ll continue under the five-year, $28 million (about ¥4.412 billion) contract he signed in December 2023, entering his fourth season in the majors.
Matsui’s contract included the right to terminate the remaining two years after the end of the 2026 season and become a free agent. Exercising that right would have made him a free agent, free to negotiate with other teams, but he chose to stay in San Diego, the city he’s grown attached to.
Under the current contract, his base salary is $6.5 million (about ¥1.024 billion) in 2027 and $7 million (about ¥1.103 billion) in 2028, for a combined total of $13.5 million (about ¥2.127 billion) over the remaining two years. Matsui will also have the right to opt out again after next season, giving him another chance to decide whether to become a free agent.
Source: mlb.com / Original article here
What people said
Back in the strong-yen days that would've converted to like ¥500-600 million, so Rakuten could've just barely kept him too.
No way it'd double.
A reliever getting $10 million just doesn't happen, especially when this year was clearly the only year he was actually good.
His WAR is 0.4, you know?
Realistically he's worth about $3 million.
It's probably for his wife (Anna Ishibashi) and their three daughters.
Wait, all three of his kids are girls?
Speaking of which, what's going on with Darvish these days?
If next season ends up getting canceled, that's a full year with no games.
In that scenario, landing a big contract would be tough — that's probably the reasoning.
Feels like he'd have market value around $10 million though.
Is he really satisfied being treated like that?
That's hilariously overpaid.
Meanwhile Hader's actually worth his salary.
Truly a $6 million man, huh.
Blame inflation and the dollar's declining value.
I didn't think he'd hold up in the WBC, honestly.
That's just this year though. So what's his average now, Mr. Expert?
Wait, what?? What??? 1s—what????
Paying ¥1 billion for only 64 innings seems like bad value, no?
A starter throwing a full qualifying workload would get like ¥3 billion
That's ace-starter territory.
Between a starter with a set schedule and a reliever who has to be ready to pitch at any moment, the latter is mentally tougher.
Background and Key Points of This Topic
MLB contracts sometimes include player-friendly “opt-out” clauses, and Matsui’s deal included the right to void the remaining two years and become a free agent after the 2026 season. Exercising it could have opened the door to a bigger contract given his strong performance, but this time he chose to prioritize staying in a familiar environment. The forum debate centered on how to value his salary: metrics like WAR, which are built around starting pitchers, tend to undervalue relievers, so stat-focused posters and those who valued “the fact that he’s reliably held down the closer role” ended up talking past each other. Some also pointed out that with the labor agreement deadline approaching in December, this was a realistic decision made with an eye on the risk that a lockout could freeze the free-agent market entirely. It’s also worth noting that the “over ¥1 billion next season” figure in the article refers only to his single-season salary in 2027, while the total value of the contract’s remaining two years comes to about ¥2.127 billion.
*This article is compiled from excerpts and a summary of the 5ch (Geisuno Sokuho+) thread “[US] Yuki Matsui Stays with Padres Without Exercising Opt-Out: Next Season’s Salary About ¥1.024 Billion.”
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