Yuki Matsui is sticking with the Padres.
According to Japanese media outlet Sankei Sports, the left-hander will pass on his $6.5 million opt-out and remain in San Diego’s bullpen for 2027. That call comes after Matsui turned in his best MLB season yet, working 54 games and posting a 1.83 ERA and 1.14 WHIP - both career lows since he joined the Padres in December 2023.
The decision matters even more because Matsui stayed healthy enough to keep the choice in his hands. He avoided tearing the ulnar collateral ligament in his left elbow, which preserved his contractual right to opt out after the season.
He’ll face a similar decision a year from now if he avoids Tommy John surgery. If that procedure does happen, the 2028 option, worth $7 million, becomes a team option.
For the Padres, this takes one item off president of baseball operations A.J. Preller’s offseason list.
It also gives the bullpen some stability at a time when Adrian Morejon’s future remains unsettled. If Morejon departs in free agency, Matsui could slide into the top left-handed relief role behind closer Mason Miller.
That possibility matters because San Diego’s bullpen was among the best in baseball last season. Without Morejon, Matsui and Wandy Peralta would be manager Craig Stammen’s main left-handed options. Peralta also opted in for 2027, but his 2026 numbers - a 3.61 ERA, 50 strikeouts in 77.1 innings and a 4.32 expected ERA - make Matsui the more attractive weapon in bigger spots.
Matsui’s own numbers back that up. His expected ERA was 3.03 in 2026, yet he still held opponents to a .170 batting average.
That’s especially notable for a pitcher without a blazing fastball, as Matsui sat at 91.9 mph. At 5-foot-8 and 165 pounds, he’s carved out his edge with a steady mix of sliders and splitters, using the latter as his off-speed pitch.
Left-handers had almost no success against him last season, slashing .144/.237/.229. In a division that includes Shohei Ohtani and others, that kind of production makes Matsui a valuable piece. It also helps explain why he may have decided not to test free agency, especially with other left-handed relievers potentially crowding the market.
For the Padres, the move brings a little relief in a winter full of bigger questions. Michael King, Morejon and Ty France are among the names still on the board, but Matsui is no longer one of them.
In Other News...
Padres Just Put A Huge Adrian Morejon Decision In Play
The Padres have put Adrian Morejon in a familiar but meaningful spot by extending him a qualifying offer, a one-year deal worth $23.15 million. It is one of the more notable decisions on the clubs offseason board, especially for a left-hander who has settled into an important relief role and now has a clear financial fork in the road.
Morejon is one of eight players around the league to receive that kind of offer before the Nov. 17 deadline to accept or reject it, and the choice carries real weight for both sides. For San Diego, it keeps the door open on a pitcher who has become part of the late-inning picture, while also leaving his next move and long-term future very much in play. [Read more 🡒]
Padres Face A Tough Ramon Laureano Decision In Left Field
The Padres have a busy winter ahead, and the left-field picture is part of it. Along with decisions on Michael King, Adrian Morejon, Walker Buehler and Nick Pivetta, the club also has to sort out what to do with Ramon Laureano, who gave them a useful option in the outfield before undergoing hip surgery.
Laureano is expected to look for a one-year deal, which could make him a fit for a team trying to preserve flexibility while keeping the roster competitive. San Diego also has younger alternatives in Samad Taylor and Dustin Harris if it decides to take a different path, so the choice in left field may come down to how much certainty the Padres want versus how much room they want to leave themselves for the rest of the offseason. [Read more 🡒]
Padres Suddenly Face A Costly Michael King Decision
The Padres are already staring at another winter of roster churn after losing four players to free agency, including three pitchers and an infielder, and the pressure on the front office is only rising. One of the biggest names in that mix is right-hander Michael King, who has emerged as a key free agent after a strong run in San Diego and has made it clear he would like to stay put.
For a club that has spent plenty of time trying to stabilize its pitching staff, keeping King would go a long way toward preserving some continuity. There is at least one bit of good news on that front: left-handed reliever Yuki Matsui has opted not to exercise his out clause and will remain with the Padres for 2027, with a player option for 2028. Even so, King's situation looms as one of the more important decisions in the Padres' offseason. [Read more 🡒]