Jackson Merrill, Padres Agree To Nine-Year Extension

The San Diego Padres have extended another key piece of their talented core. On Wednesday morning, Robert Murray of FanSided broke the news that the Padres had agreed to a nine-year, $135 million contract extension with All-Star center fielder Jackson Merrill.

The deal includes a $30 million team option for a tenth year that can become a player option if certain (as of yet unreported) conditions are met. Additional incentives boost the total potential value of the contract to $204 million.

Merrill, not yet 22, exceeded all expectations in his rookie campaign – and expectations were quite high to begin with. The lefty batter hit .292, knocked 24 home runs, and stole 16 bases. He finished his debut season with an .826 OPS and a 130 wRC+.

Even more impressive, the converted shortstop put up 11 OAA in center field – a position he had never previously played professionally. Altogether, his 5.3 FanGraphs WAR ranked him among the top 10 players in the National League and earned him a runner-up finish in Rookie of the Year voting.

Today, that performance earned him a nine-figure contract.

It’s not hard to understand why either side agreed to this deal. Padres POBO A.J. Preller loves giving out long-term extensions. Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado, Jake Cronenworth, Yu Darvish, and Joe Musgrove have all signed lucrative extensions with San Diego in recent years.

Presuming Merrill’s extension begins in 2026, the Padres secured, at minimum, his first five free agent years for a price well below the market rate.

As for Merrill, he has now guaranteed himself a life-changing amount of money, no matter how he performs over the rest of his career. Few players his age have that kind of security.

Furthermore, precisely because he is so young, Merrill could still potentially land another huge payday as a free agent in his early thirties.

The Extension Train Keeps Moving