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Padres lock in all-star Jackson Merrill with nine-year extension
The Padres signed outfielder Jackson Merrill to a nine-year, $135 million contract extension, the team announced on Wednesday.
A star is staying in San Diego.
The Padres signed outfielder Jackson Merrill to a nine-year, $135-million contract extension, the team announced on Wednesday.
Merrill, 21, is fresh off a superlative 2024 rookie campaign in which he made the all-star team, won a silver slugger and placed ninth in MVP voting, yet still finished behind Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes as rookie of the year.
The centre fielder batted .292 in his rookie season, adding 24 homers and 90 RBIs while generating 4.4 WAR.
He is already off to a scorching start this season too, with a .400 batting average, one home run and six RBIs in just six games.
Merrill, of Baltimore, was selected 27th overall out of high school in the 2021 draft and quickly rose in MLB prospect rankings.
He was not slated to become a free agent until 2030 or even become eligible for arbitration until 2027.
He has an $809,500 salary while in the major leagues this year after earning the $740,000 minimum last year and gaining $1,191,534 from the pre-arbitration bonus pool.
Merrill gets a $10 million signing bonus, $1 million payable within 30 days of the contract’s approval by Major League Baseball and $3 million on Jan. 15 in each of the next three years.
He gets salaries of $1 million in 2026, $6 million in 2027, $8 million in 2028, $10 million in 2029 and $20 million annually from 2030-34.
San Diego has a $21 million option for 2034 that would become a player option at the same salary if he finishes among the top five in MVP voting in any season from 2026-34.
His salary would escalate by $1 million for all remaining years for any season in which he has 500 or more plate appearances.
Merrill’s option price would escalate by $1 million each time he finishes among the top 10 in MVP voting.
–with files from The Associated Press
