Mar 22, 2025; Peoria, Arizona, USA; San Diego Padres outfielder Jackson Merrill (3) reacts after getting out against the Cincinnati Reds in the first inning at Peoria Sports Complex. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images

Padres star disses Juan Soto's Mets deal after signing contract extension

Originally posted on New York Mets on SI | By Grant Young | Last updated Apr 3, 2025 8:00 AM ET

The entire baseball world was left in a state of awe after news broke that the New York Mets had signed Juan Soto to a 15-year, $765 million deal back in December 2024, which was the biggest contract in sports history.

Since Soto put pen to paper, many have argued that no player — no matter how much their impact on the field — is worth that much money. Of course, the Mets' front office obviously disagrees, which is why they gave Soto that sort of money.

Now, Soto's signing made a precedent for the rest of the league in terms of it giving players a standard with which to measure themselves and to measure how their team views them. And this could be upsetting for some.

This could have been the case for San Diego Padres star outfielder Jackson Merrill, who inked a nine-year, $135 million contract extension on April 2.

Jackson Merrill and the Padres agree on a nine-year, $135M extension, per @ByRobertMurray. pic.twitter.com/XVay4E75jR
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) April 2, 2025

Jackson also did an April 2 press conference in the wake of his contract extension. And at one point, he felt compelled to throw shade at Juan Soto and his Mets contract.

"I think just even hearing an opportunity to sign with the San Diego Padres is enough for me," Merrill said, per an X post from @PadresFoo. "But I also feel like there comes a like where you know your worth, know your value.

"Listen, I know there are contracts out there that are beyond absurd. They're super amounts of money. But having a relationship with a real human being and a real team like I have here, you can’t beat that," he continued.

"You know, you can’t just sign for $700 million and want everything to be perfect."

Merrill throwing a lil shade at Soto lmao pic.twitter.com/gp8ObXVZiL
— fried friar (@PadresFoo) April 2, 2025

It's unclear what exactly Merrill was trying to say here, but it's clear that he was referencing Soto and his contract.

While Soto played with the Padres, he and Merrill never crossed paths. Still, the July 28-30 series between the Mets and Padres in San Diego just got a lot more interesting.

This article first appeared on New York Mets on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: