As the Padres and Nationals were negotiating the blockbuster Juan Soto trade in advance of the 2022 trade deadline, the Nats were able to obtain such top-tier young talents as CJ Abrams, James Wood, and MacKenzie Gore as part of the six-player trade package. One player Washington didn’t land was Jackson Merrill, though Tom Krasovic of the San Diego Union-Tribune writes that the Nationals asked about Merrill as part of the trade talks.
Though Merrill was the 27th overall pick of the 2021 draft, his prospect stock didn’t really start to take off until he started to post big numbers for the Padres’ rookie league and A-ball affiliates during the 2022 season. In fact, injuries limited Merrill to only 25 games in 2022 at the time of the Soto trade, so the Nationals weren’t working off a lot of scouting information when they checked into Merrill’s possible availability. Though the Friars gave up a lot to bring Soto to San Diego, it looks like they made a canny move in keeping Merrill, as his tremendous rookie season helped lead the Padres to the NLDS this season. Merrill hit .292/.326/.500 with 24 home runs over 593 plate appearances, and (even more remarkably) played strong defense as San Diego’s everyday center fielder despite never before playing center during his pro career.
Some other items from around baseball…
- Sacramento’s Sutter Health Park will remain a natural-grass stadium when the Athletics begin play next season, a league spokesperson told the media (including The Athletic’s Evan Drellich). Since the Giants’ Triple-A affiliate will continue sharing the ballpark with the A’s, the initial idea was to install an artificial surface for 2025 and beyond, as a grass field will take quite a bit of wear-and-tear from two full schedules’ worth of games. However, players still preferred even a beaten-up grass surface to turf, as playing on an artificial surface outdoors in California would’ve routinely raised on-field temperatures to well over 100 degrees Fahrenheit, even for some night games. “In light of the players’ clear preference for natural grass, and after weighing with the MLBPA the potential risks and benefits of maintaining natural grass versus replacing the playing surface with synthetic turf, all the parties are aligned in moving forward with a natural grass field for Opening Day 2025,” the spokesperson said.
- In other stadium news, the Rays’ immediate landing spot isn’t yet clear as the club continues to assess how badly Tropicana Field was damaged by Hurricane Milton. Amidst speculation that the Rays could at least open the 2025 season in any number of different cities, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred made it clear in an interview on the Varsity podcast that the league’s preference is to keep the Rays in the Tampa/St. Pete area. “The easiest thing is always to stay in the market where the clubs are anchored, if we can manage it,” Manfred said, in terms of Tropicana Field, “we’re hopeful…the repairs can be done in a way that allows them to resume playing.” That said, Manfred is aware of the “complication” of how the city could balk at a large repair bill for a stadium that will soon be abandoned entirely, as the Rays’ new ballpark is slated to be ready for Opening Day 2028. (Hat tip to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times.)
Looking forward to Sacramento As baseball!
Yes! I live 10 minutes away and it’s a quality facility. If they have to play in a minor league park this works well.
Complication my eye. Manfred proves in that idiotic statement he’s without a clue. So St Pete/Pinellas, which is already forking over 600m for the new stadium for Sternberg’s team NOW is supposed to throw untold millions more into a patchwork fix on a stadium which will be in use, at most 3 more years and then torn down itself? He sounds EXACTLY like many policticians, more than happy to spend others hard earned money to solve a problem so he can give himself a pat on the back. What a loser.
Will be interesting to learn how much insurance will cover.
Knowing how this team is run financially, most likely they’ll pocket and coming insurance money and not repair it.
While I don’t disagree that Sternberg is screwing St. Pete with the support of MLB to get a new stadium, there is another angle to examine here. Who was/is responsible for stadium upkeep? I read somewhere it was suggested that based on the expected lifespan of the the roof it should have been replaced upwards of a decade ago. Who made that call to possibly save the money from that expenditure and who benefited from it? If the team made that call, then the city/county should crush the Rays and bill them for the whole fix. On the other hand if it was the municipality who was looking to save money, then we should consider they dug this hole and hoped to avoid stepping in it but failed.
They could still play without a roof. Just give the paying customers umbrellas and hand-held fans. That should satisfy the city, the owner and, of course, the great god himself, Manfred.
Considering there is no drainage system under the turf, playing without a roof is basically impossible. Any rain will simply puddle up and have nowhere to go. The only thing under the turf and infield dirt is solid concrete.
St Pete owns the stadium. IIRC, they cheaped out on the insurance policy, which is where the problem lies.
The Rays have a lease in place until the end of the 2027 season. St. Pete has to honor that lease.
What they are really saying is the MLBPA said we will not approve playing in Sacramento on artificial turf, so they had to backpeddle. The MLBPA also said they would not approve playing there unless all the recommended renovations were complete prior to the season starting. What is MLB’s backup plan if that doesn’t happen? The Coliseum?
I remember when the Pirates played on artificial turf. It was so hot on the field that Pirates third baseman Richie Hebner cut holes in his shoes to relieve some of the heat. I think real grass is the right call.
I remember seeing pictures from back when Philly had the old turf at Vet Stadium. It literally melted the soles of some players cleats and they had to replace them often when playing at home in summer months.
good prep for ensuing climate warming
I’ve played on artificial turf during a really hot day. It’s no joke that one can get first-degree burns if your skin makes contact with the turf for only a few seconds. On top of the that, outfielders are often diving for balls.
Re: back-up plan
I don’t profess to know the skinny on MLB’s masterplan, but it’d be cool to see Snapdragon transform to accommodate the A’s. This town is itching for more ball, and I think the A’s would draw quite well! We’ve got lacrosse matches pulling 15k, and I reasonably suggest the A’s would probably out-average that. It might be a “slower” night if the Pads are in town, but we realistically could accommodate different start times if both teams are around. Ah dunno, whimsical ideas but I can smell something cookin’
Maybe the Nats had a choice between Merrill and Abrams. And, they got their guy.
Pretty sure both the Nats and Os were aware of Jackson on draft day. He came out of one of them baseball type factories in Anne Arundel County MD which is a burb of both DC and Baltimore.
And who did the Nats grab at 11 in that draft? Brady House. Looks like a solid chance to be Abram’s running mate on the left side of the dirt in DC for some time to come.
mlbtraderumors.com/2024/09/nationals-option-cj-abr…
About halfway through the comments we were talking about it…
Merrill grew up about 35 mins from DC. Would have to imagine that the Nats had local scouts who had eyes on him at some point. (He did not play at a big time prep school around here though)
I guess not including Merrill in the trade doesn’t get factored into the Preller bashing conversations? So far, Hassell being allowed to go as opposed to Merrill appears to be a winner.
AJ haters are only heard because they scream, meanwhile all the sensible people are sipping their libation of choice with a wry smile.
AJ keeps the Madres interesting before, during, and after the season. Always something going on.
I almost thumbed you up DK, but immediately reversed my decision when I saw the “M”
😛
All in good fun. I am still smarting from Profar absolutely murdering my team, this past season.
Ah heck, I’ll thumbs the both of yas! Cheers 920
Cheers boys! Wish Hassell well, but competing with Paul freakeen Skenes for ROY wasn’t in his cards
Bobby 3 Sticks has turned into Bobby No Stick… but he can turn it around!
The obvious solutions in Tampa Bay is to make Tropicana Field an open air stadium. If that doesn’t work, the Oakland Coliseum is available.
Tropicana field has no drainage system for rain. It is not a solution.
As it’s been said many times on this site, the Trop doesn’t have any drainage set up as it was always a dome.
From July through sept there’s an afternoon rain and lightning storm almost every afternoon. The feels like temperature even at 7 pm is still near 100 degrees.
Why would a Florida team go to California to play? There’s a zero percent chance of that happening.
That’s right, they should try Idaho
Padres easily won the soto trade, they made the postseason with him…the nationals have not made the postseason yet, Robert hassell is looking terrible and he’s already 23 years old, CJ Abrams is decent at best right now, and they only just now called up James wood, and he should be fine. Luke Voit was complete garbage…Susana is OK, not good.
Now on the padres side fully:
Juan soto had an MVP caliber season (like usual) and led them to the postseason
Josh bell was below average, but had a good postseason.
Don’t forget King, Cease, Higgy, Vasquez and the other SD prospects all involved ultimately in the Soto transaction. And I hope we don’t vet out the trade win-loss speculations again here! But if I were a betting man I’d put my money on Merrill as having the best career of all the prospects involved in the Soto transactions. I’d certainly take him over Abrams. Wood could say otherwise.
What a prospects factory SD has been
well said !
I’d remind everybody (Brew ultimately) that Merrill was never actually involved in the Soto trade…
didn’t mean to imply that Gwynning. Just comparing him to the prospects that were.
Copy that! Cheers buddy
Despite the season he had, Skenes is likely to miss out on ROY (Merrill) and Cy Young (Sale). Doesn’t’t diminish his greatness in any way. Skenes and Elly de la Cruz are the two players I would pay to see.
@avenger65. Really? I would think Skenes is still favorite for ROY (though Merrill is just as deserving maybe more?).
But CY, yeah no chance. Sale for sure.
Some would claim I’m biased, but my vote is for Merrill. 100%
Me too, whether I’m biased (and I am) or not (which I can try to be).
Try to be not I mean
Skenes will win ROY with a unanimous vote or close to it.
Obviously, Skenes won’t be unanimous if I just told you I’m voting for Merrill, metsin4000… and furthermore Susan, I won’t be the only one! Have fun trollin’ anyway lol
Look at you. Trolling while calling someone a troll. Maybe you might want to get to therapy to see why your feeling get so hurt so easily and you start calling names like a twelve year old.
Not a Sublime fan, mets?
joke
_________
mets head
You didn’t mention Gore. Although, the jury is still out on him. Pitched well in the beginning and end. Middle-not so much. The talent is there.
To “win” a trade, whoever wins the WS wins the trade
If the yanks win the WS then they won the trade, but if they don’t and Soto goes to the Mets then they lose the trade
What does this have to do with the nationals though.
Omg I thought you meant the Yankees padres trade
Your main point, however, is spot on.
@sad
Don’t worry lol! :3
disagree the nationals probably will ultimately be the winners. For one year of Soto and not even making it to the World Series you gave up a 3 1/2 war player still in his early 20s in Abrams. Gore has been steadily improving. The last few years and at worst is middle-back of the rotation and still has top of the rotation upside. Wood was the number one prospect in baseball and is off to a good start in the MLB. Susana is now a top 100 prospect and rising. The best return you got for Soto was Michael King, who had a very good year this year, but only one more year of club control and still know World Series appearance for you.
Preller played 4D chess with the payroll last year and it worked beautifully. I think he did more with less considering he had to trade Soto and duck under the CBT. He had to have earned himself massive browny points with ownership the way the season turned out. I wish Getz turns out to be a savvy GM, I can only hope….
Yeah Preller did an amazing job last off-season. Payroll was 75m lower yet they won 12 more games. Lost the NL CY winner in Snell, their closer to FA in Hader who landed the biggest contract ever for a reliever, and a top 3 hitter in the game in Juan Soto. Not to mention 50% of the playoff bound Royals top 4 starters in Lugo and Wacha. Nick Martinez was a loss too that had himself a great year.
The Soto trade was well done. It was dragged out for numerous days and it seemed like it was mostly the Yankees willing to go the distance. Cashman was playing hard ball not wanting to give up both King and Thorpe and Preller just waited him out till he budged. Higgy and Vazquez were great additions too helping with the biggest shortcoming from the year prior, which was lack of depth and a top heavy roster.
getz a savvy GM? He’s not even up to the level of a bad GM. A rebuild shouldn’t result in 121 losses. You don’t trade your core, controllable players (Cease, Burger, and, after the WS, Crochet and Robert) if you want to build a winning team. We don’t have a player at any position (except CF) who can play at a major league level. As a writer on this site wrote in a chat, the Sox will sign FA this off-season, however none of which will be rebuilding caliber.
Avenger,
I’m just a half-glass full kind of guy, hoping that the prospects Getz has gotten from these trades can pan out. I’m giving him 3 more seasons before I lose faith in the guy, or hopefully Jerry Reinsdorf sells the team to a competent ownership and they clean house. Lots of if scenarios, but that’s all White Sox fans have right now I suppose…