After his breakout rookie season in 2024, it was not a matter of if Jackson Merrill would sign a contract extension with the San Diego Padres. It was a matter of when.
And on Wednesday, the time arrived.
Advertisement
The Padres and Merrill are in agreement on a nine-year, $135 million extension that begins in 2026 and could reach $204 million with incentives and escalators, sources confirmed to Yahoo Sports. The deal secures one of MLB’s brightest young stars with the Friars for the next decade.
Merrill, now 21, burst onto the scene last season, showing not only that he could hold his own as a major-league center fielder but also that he was already a superstar at the age of 20. After he was drafted as a shortstop and played that position during his quick rise through the minor leagues, San Diego transitioned Merrill to center field for the first time last spring. And it didn’t take long for the team — and the league — to realize that this was no ordinary 20-year-old.
In his first MLB season, Merrill slashed .292/.326/.500 in 156 games and led all rookies in batting average, hits (162), home runs (24), extra-base hits (61) and RBI (90). He also thrived defensively, rating +11 in outs above average in center. Merrill became the first Padres rookie to make the All-Star Game, he finished second in NL Rookie of the Year voting behind Paul Skenes, and he helped power San Diego to 93 wins and a spot in the postseason.
Through six games played in 2025, Merrill is slashing .400/.435/.600, with six RBI, one home run and a 190 OPS+.
Advertisement
[Read more: Padres star Jackson Merrill reflects on his rapid rise in MLB and what’s ahead in 2025]
The Padres and president of baseball operation AJ Preller have never been afraid to reward their stars and invest in the future. San Diego signed Fernando Tatis Jr. to a 15-year, $341 million extension in 2021, Manny Machado has signed two $300 million deals with the organization, Xander Boegarts is on an 11-year, $280 million free-agent deal, and Jake Cronenworth received a seven-year, $80 million extension in 2023.
At the same time, the unknown nature of the Padres’ ownership situation — and the dispute between the late Peter Seidler’s widow, Sheel, and his brothers, Nick, Robert and John — has cast some doubt on the future direction of this franchise, including whether new deals with young stars can reach the finish line. But in this case, the deal is a win for both sides, giving both Merrill and the Padres something they wanted.
Advertisement
Sources told Yahoo Sports that the extension includes a $10 million signing bonus, and Merrill will receive $1 million in each season that he reaches 500 plate appearances from 2030 through 2035. The final year of the contract becomes a $30 million player option if Merrill finishes in the top five of MVP voting in any season of the deal. The contract also includes escalators for top-10 MVP finishes. All together, the extension maxes out at $204 million.
Compared to most long-term deals with those kinds of escalators, the structure of this contract should allow the Padres’ young star to hit those milestones and incentives rather easily, given his trajectory thus far, and by signing an extension so early in his career, Merrill gets a big raise in the short term. Meanwhile, the contract provides San Diego with some financial relief during the front half of the deal, before Merrill’s salary escalates in the 2030s. It’s a rare win-win for team and player: Merrill gets attainable and guaranteed cash, and the Padres get a lower average annual value over the length of the deal, as well as a young star to build around.
Merrill has spoken often in recent months about his desire to be a Padre for the long haul. Many players as young as he is, with a year of service time and a superstar trajectory, would hold out for more money or even wait to become free agents. But sources told Yahoo Sports that the new face of the Padres franchise wanted to get a deal done and know where he would be playing for the foreseeable future.
Advertisement
With the team off to a 6-0 start, things couldn’t be going better in San Diego as the 2025 season gets underway, and with another key piece of the team’s core now under club control for the next decade, the Padres’ window of contention has never been more open.
This news was originally published on this post .
About the author
Arsenal suffered against Paris Saint-Germain – but this is a tie that is still alive
“We’re at half-time.”That was Mikel Arteta’s message to his players. They may have suffered a 1-0 defeat in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final against Paris Saint-Germain, but Arsenal’s manager was keen to emphasise that the tie remains very much alive.Given the way the game started and finished, Arteta may be relieved about that. PSG opened the scoring through Ousmane Dembele after just four minutes. It marked the start of a period of dominance for the away side which lasted a quarter of the game. Rarely have Arteta’s Arsenal looked so clearly second best.AdvertisementIf the quarter-final triumph over Real Madrid had a dreamlike quality, this was a game in which Arsenal awoke to the harsh realities of the sharp end of the Champions League.Facing Madrid was a huge psychological test for this team. They had to overcome the […]
Kyle Manzardo’s walk-off homer lifts Guardians over Twins after lengthy rain delay
CLEVELAND — Chris Paddack and the Minnesota Twins pitching staff were very good in a rain-delayed game on Tuesday night. The Cleveland Guardian pitchers were just a little better.Tanner Bibee and two high-leverage relievers shut down a hot Twins offense, and Bo Naylor and Kyle Manzardo each went deep, the latter with a walk-off home run, as the Guardians won 2-1 at Progressive Field. Manzardo’s solo homer off Louie Varland to start the ninth inning snapped the Twins’ four-game winning streak and evened the four-game series.AdvertisementThe teams waited out a 190-minute rain delay during which it only rained for roughly five minutes.“We were playing good baseball,” Twins shortstop Carlos Correa said. “It was a good game. We didn’t come up with a win. Come back (Wednesday) and keep up the same spirits. We’ve been playing great ball for the last […]
„Das darf bei uns nie passieren!“ – Wovor Kompany die Bayern-Stars warnt
Am Samstag in Leipzig kann Bayern-Trainer Vincent Kompany (39) den Gewinn der Deutschen Meisterschaft perfekt machen. Der Belgier legt jedoch Wert darauf, dass es nicht seine erste Meisterschaft wäre: Mit Burnley wurde er 2023 in der zweiten englischen Liga Erster.Lesen Sie auch<!-->[-->Der Gewinn der Schale in seiner ersten Saison als Bayern-Coach wäre für den 39-Jährigen ein großer Erfolg, der auch deswegen gelingen würde, weil es dem Belgier zu Saisonbeginn schnell gelungen war, eine Wagenburg-Mentalität aufzubauen, die es so bei Bayern lange nicht gegeben hatte – weder unter Thomas Tuchel (51) noch unter Julian Nagelsmann (37). Er stellt die Spieler nicht vor der Gruppe bloß, übt scharfe Kritik nur in Einzelgesprächen. Was denkt er sich dabei?: Türkei-Star tickt komplett aus<!-->[-->Quelle: BILD/DAZN28.04.2025Kompany zeigte sogar Beispiele, wie Profis von anderen Teams mit öffentlichen Statements die eigene Mannschaft anzählten und damit den Teamgeist gefährdeten: […]
Fluminense x Aparecidense: só motivação não basta mais para evolução do tricolor; leia análise
Com força máxima, o Fluminense esperava encaminhar a classificação às oitavas de final da Copa do Brasil na última terça-feira. Mas não foi isso o que se viu no Maracanã. O time de Renato Gaúcho venceu a modesta Aparecidense-GO, da Série D do Campeonato Brasileiro, por 1 a 0, graças a um gol de Keno aos 35 minutos do 2º tempo e deixou o campo sob vaias da torcida. O desempenho da equipe não foi o único motivo que gerou preocupação aos torcedores: Germán Cano sofreu uma entorse no joelho esquerdo ainda nos primeiros minutos do duelo e fará exames nesta quarta-feira para saber a gravidade da lesão. Alvo definido: Com Ancelotti descartado, CBF tem Jorge Jesus como plano B pronto para ser acionadoSantos: Advogados de Caixinha notificam CBF por permitir que clube registre Cleber Xavier sem pagar rescisão de […]
Russell Westbrook’s vintage performance sparks Nuggets’ win over Clippers
<!--> Jamal Murray erupted for 43 points and Russell Westbrook chipped in 21 in his return from a foot injury, sparking the Nuggets' 131-115 win over the LA Clippers on Tuesday night that gave Denver a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series.-->The Nuggets also got 23 from Game 4 hero Aaron Gordon and Nikola Jokic's 21st career playoff triple-double (18 points, 10 rebounds, 12 assists).Again, Denver took a 22-point lead early in the fourth quarter only to watch the Clippers go on a furious run, like they did in Game 4 when they erased their entire deficit only to lose 101-99 when Gordon's buzzer-beater for the first walk-off dunk in NBA playoff history.ADVERTISEMENT <!-->This time, the Clippers went on a 17-4 run to cut their deficit to single digits at 116-107, but the Nuggets fended off another frenetic finish by […]
Trainersuche bei Leverkusen – Ex-Bayern-Star als Alonso-Nachfolger im Visier!
Nach der Niederlage im spanischen Pokalfinale gegen Barcelona (2:3 n. V.) kam Bewegung in die Trainer-Entscheidung bei Real Madrid. Vor allem das fiese Gesicht der Verlierer-Stars um den deutschen Verteidiger Antonio Rüdiger (32) mit insgesamt drei Roten Karten in den Schluss-Sekunden für Real beschleunigten den Trennungs-Prozess von Trainer Carlo Ancelotti (65). Am Sonntagabend hieß es aus der spanischen Hauptstadt, dass die Verkündung nur noch eine Frage von Stunden sei. In Leverkusen verfolgten sie die Entwicklung mit Spannung – je schneller es geht, desto besser. Der Grund: Xabi Alonso ist der Top-Favorit auf den Job bei Real. Der Bayer-Trainer kann seinen Wechsel-Wunsch mit den Bossen Simon Rolfes (43) und Fernando Carro (60) erst dann konkret besprechen, wenn Real seine Entscheidung öffentlich verkündet hat und offiziell mit Alonso in Kontakt tritt. Anschließend kann es schnell gehen bei Bayer mit der Alonso-Nachfolge.Lesen Sie auch<!-->[-->Leverkusen: […]
Related
Arsenal suffered against Paris Saint-Germain – but this is a tie that is still alive
“We’re at half-time.”That was Mikel Arteta’s message to his players. They may have suffered a 1-0 defeat in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final against Paris Saint-Germain, but Arsenal’s manager was keen to emphasise that the tie remains very much alive.Given the way the game started and finished, Arteta may be relieved about that. PSG opened the scoring through Ousmane Dembele after just four minutes. It marked the start of a period of dominance for the away side which lasted a quarter of the game. Rarely have Arteta’s Arsenal looked so clearly second best.AdvertisementIf the quarter-final triumph over Real Madrid had a dreamlike quality, this was a game in which Arsenal awoke to the harsh realities of the sharp end of the Champions League.Facing Madrid was a huge psychological test for this team. They had to overcome the […]
Kyle Manzardo’s walk-off homer lifts Guardians over Twins after lengthy rain delay
CLEVELAND — Chris Paddack and the Minnesota Twins pitching staff were very good in a rain-delayed game on Tuesday night. The Cleveland Guardian pitchers were just a little better.Tanner Bibee and two high-leverage relievers shut down a hot Twins offense, and Bo Naylor and Kyle Manzardo each went deep, the latter with a walk-off home run, as the Guardians won 2-1 at Progressive Field. Manzardo’s solo homer off Louie Varland to start the ninth inning snapped the Twins’ four-game winning streak and evened the four-game series.AdvertisementThe teams waited out a 190-minute rain delay during which it only rained for roughly five minutes.“We were playing good baseball,” Twins shortstop Carlos Correa said. “It was a good game. We didn’t come up with a win. Come back (Wednesday) and keep up the same spirits. We’ve been playing great ball for the last […]
„Das darf bei uns nie passieren!“ – Wovor Kompany die Bayern-Stars warnt
Am Samstag in Leipzig kann Bayern-Trainer Vincent Kompany (39) den Gewinn der Deutschen Meisterschaft perfekt machen. Der Belgier legt jedoch Wert darauf, dass es nicht seine erste Meisterschaft wäre: Mit Burnley wurde er 2023 in der zweiten englischen Liga Erster.Lesen Sie auch<!-->[-->Der Gewinn der Schale in seiner ersten Saison als Bayern-Coach wäre für den 39-Jährigen ein großer Erfolg, der auch deswegen gelingen würde, weil es dem Belgier zu Saisonbeginn schnell gelungen war, eine Wagenburg-Mentalität aufzubauen, die es so bei Bayern lange nicht gegeben hatte – weder unter Thomas Tuchel (51) noch unter Julian Nagelsmann (37). Er stellt die Spieler nicht vor der Gruppe bloß, übt scharfe Kritik nur in Einzelgesprächen. Was denkt er sich dabei?: Türkei-Star tickt komplett aus<!-->[-->Quelle: BILD/DAZN28.04.2025Kompany zeigte sogar Beispiele, wie Profis von anderen Teams mit öffentlichen Statements die eigene Mannschaft anzählten und damit den Teamgeist gefährdeten: […]
Fluminense x Aparecidense: só motivação não basta mais para evolução do tricolor; leia análise
Com força máxima, o Fluminense esperava encaminhar a classificação às oitavas de final da Copa do Brasil na última terça-feira. Mas não foi isso o que se viu no Maracanã. O time de Renato Gaúcho venceu a modesta Aparecidense-GO, da Série D do Campeonato Brasileiro, por 1 a 0, graças a um gol de Keno aos 35 minutos do 2º tempo e deixou o campo sob vaias da torcida. O desempenho da equipe não foi o único motivo que gerou preocupação aos torcedores: Germán Cano sofreu uma entorse no joelho esquerdo ainda nos primeiros minutos do duelo e fará exames nesta quarta-feira para saber a gravidade da lesão. Alvo definido: Com Ancelotti descartado, CBF tem Jorge Jesus como plano B pronto para ser acionadoSantos: Advogados de Caixinha notificam CBF por permitir que clube registre Cleber Xavier sem pagar rescisão de […]
Russell Westbrook’s vintage performance sparks Nuggets’ win over Clippers
<!--> Jamal Murray erupted for 43 points and Russell Westbrook chipped in 21 in his return from a foot injury, sparking the Nuggets' 131-115 win over the LA Clippers on Tuesday night that gave Denver a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series.-->The Nuggets also got 23 from Game 4 hero Aaron Gordon and Nikola Jokic's 21st career playoff triple-double (18 points, 10 rebounds, 12 assists).Again, Denver took a 22-point lead early in the fourth quarter only to watch the Clippers go on a furious run, like they did in Game 4 when they erased their entire deficit only to lose 101-99 when Gordon's buzzer-beater for the first walk-off dunk in NBA playoff history.ADVERTISEMENT <!-->This time, the Clippers went on a 17-4 run to cut their deficit to single digits at 116-107, but the Nuggets fended off another frenetic finish by […]
Trainersuche bei Leverkusen – Ex-Bayern-Star als Alonso-Nachfolger im Visier!
Nach der Niederlage im spanischen Pokalfinale gegen Barcelona (2:3 n. V.) kam Bewegung in die Trainer-Entscheidung bei Real Madrid. Vor allem das fiese Gesicht der Verlierer-Stars um den deutschen Verteidiger Antonio Rüdiger (32) mit insgesamt drei Roten Karten in den Schluss-Sekunden für Real beschleunigten den Trennungs-Prozess von Trainer Carlo Ancelotti (65). Am Sonntagabend hieß es aus der spanischen Hauptstadt, dass die Verkündung nur noch eine Frage von Stunden sei. In Leverkusen verfolgten sie die Entwicklung mit Spannung – je schneller es geht, desto besser. Der Grund: Xabi Alonso ist der Top-Favorit auf den Job bei Real. Der Bayer-Trainer kann seinen Wechsel-Wunsch mit den Bossen Simon Rolfes (43) und Fernando Carro (60) erst dann konkret besprechen, wenn Real seine Entscheidung öffentlich verkündet hat und offiziell mit Alonso in Kontakt tritt. Anschließend kann es schnell gehen bei Bayer mit der Alonso-Nachfolge.Lesen Sie auch<!-->[-->Leverkusen: […]
Be the first to leave a comment