San Diego Padres fans know all to well that president of baseball operations AJ Preller is not afraid to make trades. Preller knows that being in a division with the likes of the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants requires bold moves, and the Padres’ top decision-maker has proven time and time again that he will be undeterred in his pursuit of improving this team with hopes of one day reaching the World Series.
But sometimes, it’s the moves you don’t make. A case in point would be the recent revelation that the Washington Nationals were targeting rookie sensation Jackson Merrill in the Padres’ 2022 trade conversations prior to Juan Soto being dealt to San Diego.
The Padres almost included Jackson Merrill in the 2022 trade for Juan Soto
The Nats landed several of the Friars top prospects in the deal, including James Wood, MacKenzie Gore, and CJ Abrams. But according to the San Diego Union Tribune, Merrill was initially part of those trade discussions. Tom Krasovic revealed that Nationals GM Mike Rizzo coveted Merrill during Washington’s trade talks with San Diego, but it would appear that Preller thought highly enough of the former first-round pick that the Padres were unwilling to part with the likely NL Rookie of the Year.
Merrill was invaluable during his first season in the big leagues. The infielder-turned-outfielder seamlessly moved from shortstop to center field and was one of San Diego’s most consistent bats all year long. Merrill became a fixture in Mike Shildt’s lineup and came up clutch numerous times throughout the 2024 season.
As the offseason begins to unfold, Merrill’s future in San Diego has become a topic of discussion. No, Preller isn’t looking to trade his budding superstar, but the Friar faithful view Merrill as a long-term solution in center field and hope to see the Padres ink the 21-year-old to a contract extension.
Pads fans are certainly happy that Preller didn’t give in to the temptation to include Merrill in the trade for Soto. While doing so likely would have kept one of the other prospects in the Padres’ farm system, it’s unlikely that any of those players would have had the type of impact that Merrill has already displayed after his rookie campaign.
