Good Morning San Diego: Jackson Merrill receives high praise; Padres got out to community to say, ‘thank you’

San Diego Padres centerfielder Jackson Merrill had a difficult sophomore season in the majors. A hamstring injury and a concussion severely impacted his ability to stay on the field, which in turn hurt his overall number.  However, as the 2025 season ended, Merrill got hot and showed signs of regaining his 2024 form that saw him finish in second place for National League Rookie of the Year. Even with a down season, the expectations for Merrill are high. He was picked as the fourth best centerfielder in the game by MLB Network on the Top 10 Center Fielders, Friday. Merrill slotted behind Julio Rodriguez (Seattle Mariners), Wyatt Langford (Texas Rangers) and Byron Buxton of the Minnesota Twins.

Padres News:

• Spring Training is less than two weeks away and one of the top free agent pitchers, Framber Valdez, remains unsigned. Mark Feinsand of MLB.com lists his options of teams that could sign the left-hander, and he lists the Padres as one of those teams.

• Mason Milller came to San Diego from the Athletics at the 2025 trade deadline and wasted no time becoming a fan favorite. His mix of velocity and control was something that made Padres fans pay attention every time he came into the game. Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune says Miller is the unquestioned closer in the bullpen for 2026 following the departure of Robert Suarez.

• Members of the Padres baseball team went to various schools and other places for their Padres Community Tour, which allowed the players to meet with various kids and fans to say thank you for their support and the get those same kids and fans fired up for the 2026 season.

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Baseball News:

• The New York Yankees have taken criticism from their fans for their lack of activity prior to their reunion with Cody Bellinger. That appears to have been just the beginning as it was reported the Yankees are showing interest in Paul Goldschmidt and Nick Martinez.

• The Kansas City Royals and their first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino avoided an arbitration after agreeing to a two-year contract worth more than $11 million, which could get close to $16 million.