PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – It’s a contract for a team on the other side of the country, but it’s a deal that potentially could impact not only the Pirates, but Major League Baseball’s next collective bargaining agreement.
It’s an unprecedented nine-year, $135 million contract for 21-year-old Jackson Merrill. The Padres centerfielder who finished second to Bucs ace Paul Skenes in the 2024 National League Rookie of the Year voting.
How this impacts the Pirates is Merrill was already under team control until 2030 and not arbitration eligible until 2027.
San Diego is banking on Merrill being that player every year and if he is, that $15 million a year will be a bargain. If he’s not that player, or suffers an injury over that time, all of that money is guaranteed. That money isn’t necessarily a concern for San Diego, they have the ninth-highest team salary in 2025 at $208.9 million. But the impact for the Pirates, at $87.6 million, 26th overall, could be monumental.
What is notable about Merrill is he never played in college and made the 2024 Opening Day roster after reaching only Double A previously in his career. He never played in AAA and hit only five home runs with a .273 average in 46 games at AA. Yet the Padres saw this player as the one to break the norm.
Hitless in his first MLB game last year, Merrill got on base in his next 10 games and by April 15 was hitting .356. In a three-game series against the Pirates in August Merrill had six hits, scored six runs, hit two home runs with four RBI. He finished the season with 29 home runs and 101 RBI with a .292 average and .826 OPS.
It could be a game-changer in baseball, especially for the small market teams who can thrive on the cost-certainty of rookies before arbitration.
The question will come, should the Pirates do this with the winner of National League Rookie of the Year? Skenes put up previously unseen numbers by a rookie and, like Merrill, wouldn’t be arbitration eligible until 2027 or a free agent until 2030.
Given what Skenes did in college and his brief time in the pros, can’t find a single baseball expert who thinks he’s a flash in the pan. His mechanics and work ethic are extraordinary. What precedent would signing him to a contract now set?
Small market teams live on cost savings, all teams do to an extent. It was collectively bargained that rookies have to wait three seasons before arbitration and then three more seasons until you can be a free agent. That should allow teams like the Pirates to be able to spend more money on other players while their young stars wait for their paydays.
If you offer Skenes huge money, and it’s not to say it wouldn’t be deserved, how do you deal with the next first year player to have a big season? What if Bubba Chandler, Termarr Johnson or Konnor Griffin come up and have big seasons over the next few years? Are expectations they should garner huge extensions as well?
If more teams do this, how will this impact the next collective bargaining agreement? This current deal expires in December of 2026. Would players fight so team control is reduced, further hurting the small market teams?
This is to say the Pirates could convince Skenes to sign a contract like that, guaranteeing him more money in the next few years, but likely limiting his earning potential in 2030.
The fallout from the Merrill deal will be fascinating to watch.