SAN DIEGO (KGTV) – The Padres and rising star Jackson Merrill have agreed on a contract extension that will keep the outfielder with the club for the next nine years.
The deal was first reported by Fansided MLB insider Robert Murray. Citing sources, Murray said Merrill and the team agreed to a nine-year, $135 million extension -- a deal that can reach a maximum of $204 million and reportedly “includes a $30 million club option for a tenth season that can convert to a player option.”
Murray reported the deal was negotiated by Drew Hardee and Josh Knipp of KHG Sports.
In a statement announcing the deal, Padres President of Baseball Operations/General Manager A.J. Preller said, “As an entire organization, we are excited to make this long-term commitment to Jackson. From the day we signed him, Jackson has embodied everything we look for in cornerstone players – a dynamic two-way skillset, a commitment to off-field excellence, and a mentality centered on winning and bringing his teammates with him. With Jackson joining our core for years to come, today marks another important step in our journey towards our first World Series championship."
Merrill, who turns 22 on April 19, is hitting .400 through the first six games of the 2025 season after a rookie campaign in which he transitioned from a minor league infielder to a starting big league center fielder.
In 2024, Merrill hit .292, slugged 24 home runs, and drove in 90 runs, while making the National League All-Star team.
Merrill finished second in the NL Rookie of the Year voting and won a Silver Slugger Award.
At a Wednesday morning news conference, Merrill said, “An opportunity to sign with the San Diego Padres is enough for me. But I also feel like there comes a line where you know your worth, you know your value. Listen, I know there are contracts out there that are beyond absurd, there’s 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.”
Merrill was drafted out of Severna Park High School in Maryland by the Padres with the 27th pick in the first round of the 2021 MLB Draft.
Contract extension breakdown (via The Associated Press):
- 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.
- He also gets a hotel suite on road trips.
- 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 would have been eligible for arbitration after the 2026 season and for free agency after the 2029 World Series.
“The Padres were the first team that ever reached out to me, ever scouted me,” Merrill said. “They believed in me from Day 1. They wanted me. It feels good to be wanted. I always felt they had a certain trust in me.”
“It's a privilege to be with him for the next several years,” manager Mike Shildt said. "He’s joining a core group of players that are very special here. He fits right in and we’re really excited about it.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
