Nationals reportedly wanted Jackson Merrill as part of the 2022 Juan Soto deal

As Juan Soto gets set to take part in his second World Series this evening, let's take a look back at a recent rumor that was swirling around that the Nationals and General Manager Mike Rizzo reportedly asked about the inclusion of San Diego Padres outfielder Jackson Merrill in the return for Soto.

While this was not exactly breaking news, as I remember reading reports around the time of the trade that this rumor was a possibility, we now have confirmed proof that Merrill was sought after by the Nationals, according to Tom Krasovic of the San Diego Union-Tribune.

Around the time of the deal, both before and after the news broke, there was a lot of speculation about the names that would be involved on both sides of the deal. Of course, as we all know, the Nationals received a king's ransom from the Padres in the form of SS CJ Abrams, LHP MacKenzie Gore, OFs James Wood and Robert Hassell III, and RHP Jarlin Susana. Out of those players, 3/5 have already made it to the MLB level, with Hassell seemingly starting to figure things out, and Susana having a breakout 2024 season that saw him rise all the way into the Top 100 Prospects in the MLB.

What if Merrill had been included in the deal as well? Well, according to some old rumors that I remembered seeing around the time of the deal, the Padres and General Manager AJ Preller were unwilling to budge on Mike Rizzo's asking price of both James Wood and Jackson Merrill, and the Nationals ultimately got the aforementioned return. Merrill, like Wood, is a native of the DMV area, hailing from Baltimore, MD, and would have been another phenomenal piece to add to this lineup. To me, it basically boiled down to Rizzo having to choose who he wanted more between Wood and Merrill, and man is that going to be a fun debate for years to come.

With a spectacular rookie season that could result in him winning the 2024 NL Rookie of the Year award over Pittsburgh Pirates righty Paul Skenes, Merrill became an instant star for the Padres. After rising through the minor leagues as a shortstop, he learned how to play center field on the fly during Spring Training, and due to his natural athleticism was able to make the transition a smooth one. With big moment after big moment, it's clear that Merrill is going to be a future All-Star for the Padres, and I am certainly going to be keeping him in my fantasy baseball league as well. In his debut year, Merrill accounted for a 4.4 WAR, and accumulated a .292/.326/.500 slash line with an .816 OPS to go along with 24 homers, 90 RBIs, and 16 stolen bases. Merrill is a true 5-tool star, and it's easy to see why Rizzo would have coveted him in a return for his most prized possession.

Do you think Mike Rizzo should have pushed harder to get Jackson Merrill from the Padres? Would you rather have James Wood or Jackson Merrill? As always, please let me know on X, @DCBerk.