The San Diego Padres and All-Star outfielder Jackson Merrill have agreed to a nine-year, $135 million contract extension, sources confirmed to ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel.
The deal, first reported Wednesday by FanSided, includes a $30 million club option for a 10th season and has a maximum value of $204 million.
The team option for 2035 would convert to a player option if Merrill has a top-five finish in MVP voting at any point during the contract.
Merrill, who turns 22 on April 19, made his major league debut last season and became an All-Star, batting .292 with 24 home runs, 90 RBIs and 16 stolen bases. He finished second in the National League Rookie of the Year race behind Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes.
Merrill 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. The extension starts next year and runs through the 2034 season.
Merrill would have been eligible for arbitration after the 2026 season and for free agency after the 2029 World Series. The 2021 first-round draft pick becomes the latest Padre to sign a nine-figure contract, joining Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr., Xander Bogaerts and Yu Darvish.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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