The San Diego Padres have agreed to a nine-year, $135 million contract extension with center fielder Jackson Merrill, league sources confirmed, keeping one of baseball’s best young players for the long term just six games into his second major-league season.
Merrill, 21, established himself as one of the sport’s ascendent young talents as a rookie, slashing .292/.326/.500 with 24 home runs and 16 stolen bases in 156 games. For that, he earned an All-Star selection and Silver Slugger award and finished second to Paul Skenes in NL Rookie of the Year voting.
Merrill has contributed plenty to the Padres’ 6-0 start this season, batting .400 (8-for-20) with one home run and six RBIs.
The deal could be worth as much as $204 million, according to league sources. That assumes that the club exercises an option for the 10th year, and that Merrill hits various escalators tied to plate appearances. The deal is structured so that starting in 2026, every time Merrill reaches 500 plate appearances in the first portion of the new contract, he increases his pay during the back end of the extension. Those potential increases tied to plate appearances would begin in 2030.
For example, if Merrill reaches 500 plate appearances in 2026, he receives an extra $1 million for each year from 2030 to 2034. The same is true for 2027. And so on. Thus, conceptually, the deal could become nine years, $165 million based on the escalators. Also, the club option converts to a player option if Merrill finishes top five in MVP voting in any year of the deal.
The extension, first reported by Robert Murray of FanSided, offers a semblance of needed stability for a franchise in flux. Since the passing of former owner Peter Seidler, payroll has been reduced, and questions of the franchise’s future have emerged amidst a family dispute over control of the team.
The Padres’ roster is loaded with high-priced stars such Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr. and Xander Bogaerts, all acquired during Seidler’s tenure, in which payroll reached unprecedented heights for the franchise. In Merrill, San Diego’s first-round pick four years ago, the Padres have locked in a potential foundational player early in his career.
The Padres’ collection of talent created a roster logjam that was eased by Merrill’s ability to change defensive positions. Though he came up as a shortstop, Merrill last season made a relatively seamless transition to center field, making his standout season at the plate all the more impressive.
This story will be updated. More to come.
(Photo: Orlando Ramirez / Getty Images)
