Padres get upper hand on Pirates, Paul Skenes after Jackson Merrill ROY snub

Did the Padres just place a tremendous amount of pressure on the Pittsburgh Pirates? Considering how Jackson Merrill and Paul Skenes are constantly tied together in a heated battle amongst fans, it definitely feels like the ball is the Pirates' court now.

This week, San Diego signed phenom Jackson Merrill to a nine-year contract extension to keep the Friars core of Merrill, Manny Machado, and Fernando Tatis Jr. together for a long time. With that move from San Diego in mind, the Pirates, renowned for being unable to retain their best players, might feel like the clock is ticking to extend their ace in Skenes.

Padres apply pressure on Pirates following Jackson Merrill's extension

Last season, Skenes was voted the National League Rookie of the Year. Although he was deserving, Padres fans - even many baseball fans - were vocal about the final results. They felt that Merrill, who played a full season and helped the Padres to 93 wins, deserved the award over the former No. 1 overall pick.

That resentment has bled into the 2025 season. Many people, including the Padres fans and their personnel, believe that Merrill was the true Rookie of the Year, and they aren't afraid to show that. A sign just outside of Petco Park with Merrill's name on it is all you need to know.

Skenes is able to see the love and the rewards that Merrill is receiving from his organization. So what about him? Is he going to get that kind of money from the Pirates? Pittsburgh is 26th in the majors in overall payroll this season, while the Padres are ninth, so it seems unlikely.

The Pirates, to their credit, have coughed up a few long-term contracts with Mitch Keller (five years, $77 million), Ke'Bryan Hayes (eight years, $70 million), and Bryan Reynolds (eight years, $106.75 million). Their track record isn't the best, though, losing top-end players like Gerrit Cole, Tyler Glasnow, and Joe Musgrove to teams that were willing to pay them... just to name a few.

This was probably always a thought in Skenes' head, but now that he sees Merrill - his direct competitor - getting paid, it begs the question: Is there now more pressure on Pittsburgh to shell out more to keep a generational pitcher like Skenes? The sand in the hourglass is already moving.