Ahead of the series opener between the San Diego Padres and the Washington Nationals, Padres rising star Jackson Merrill reflected on his relations with good friend James Wood and how he felt after the player was involved in the blockbuster seven-player trade deal that sent Dominican star Juan Soto and lefty slugger Josh Bell to San Diego in August 2022.
The Padres selected both Merrill and Wood in the 2021 MLB draft. They spent some time together playing in the minor leagues, and it is here where the young stars became good friends. While Merrill was taken aback by the Soto trade, which sent Wood to the Nationals, he never refrained from voicing praise for his friend, who is having an amazing season at the plate with the Nats.
Jackson Merrill Heaps Praise on Good Friend James Wood and Reflects on the Juan Soto Trade
While addressing media questions ahead of the series opener against the Nats at Petco Park on Monday, Merrill voiced praise for Nats OF Wood, as he said, “He’s been here with me since he was 13. He doesn’t surprise me at all. It’s like 21 home runs. He got one last night.”
He further continued, “Every day he comes to the field ready to play; you know everybody is always like, ‘Oh, he’s moving so slow.’ He’s moving as fast as he can. So, we are going to be ready for him; he’s going to come here and play his ass off. It would be good for him to come back and play against him.”
Next, Merrill reflected on the Soto trade deal, which sent Wood the other way, and whether he thought he was going to get involved in the trade back in 2022. Merrill said, “No, because I was injured for three months that year.”
He added, “So, like, I came back to lower A for a week, like the last day of the week, and he had been going crazy the whole week, and I was like, I haven’t really played, so if they are going to trade anyone, it’s going to be probably someone who has been playing.”
Finally, the Padres’ CF concluded the interview by saying that he felt mad at his friend for leaving for Washington, but overall was happy for all seven players involved in the Soto trade deal that year.
Jackson Merrill spoke about facing his good friend James Wood, if Jackson ever thought he’d be included in the Juan Soto trade and what it was like being with Wood when he found out he was traded to the Nationals: pic.twitter.com/aQzRt94g8T
— 97.3 The Fan (@973TheFanSD) June 23, 2025
While Merrill is attempting to make headway with the Padres this season after a formidable rookie season last year, Wood has been simply amazing at the plate for the Nats this season. He is producing an All-Star season and leads the team in all the major offensive stats in 2025.