The San Diego Padres signed All-Star outfielder Jackson Merrill to a nine-year contract extension through the 2034 season.
The Padres announced the deal Wednesday but did not disclose financial terms. Sources confirmed to ESPN's Kiley McDaniel that the nine extension years are worth $135 million.
The deal, first reported 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. He also gets a hotel suite on road trips.
Merrill paid immediate dividends on the deal Wednesday, hitting a two-run home run with two outs in the third inning to give the Padres a 4-0 lead over the Cleveland Guardians. He took several steps, tossed his bat in the air and gestured with his right arm. He homered for the second straight game and has hit safely in all seven games this year.
Merrill had a sensational rookie season in 2024 and said several times he wanted to stay long term with the Padres.
"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," Merrill said at a news conference before the Padres played Cleveland. "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, who turns 22 on April 19, was moved from shortstop to center field in spring training last year when the Padres had only two outfielders on their roster. He made the Opening Day roster and hit .292 with 24 homers, 90 RBIs and 16 stolen bases. He finished second in National League Rookie of the Year voting behind Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes.
Merrill has helped the Padres to the first 6-0 start in their 57-season history.
"The Padres were the first team that ever reached out to me, ever scouted me," he 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."
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.
"It's a privilege to be with him for the next several years," Padres 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."
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.