The A’s Just Locked Up Jacob Wilson — Should the Padres Be Taking Notes?

The Las Vegas (kind of) Athletics just announced a seven-year, $70 million extension for star infielder Jacob Wilson. The deal gives Wilson long-term financial security while allowing the A’s to retain talent at an affordable price.

Over the past two offseasons, general manager David Forst has extended Wilson, Tyler Soderstrom, Lawrence Butler and Brent Rooker. Each contract landed between $60 million and $90 million in total value and ranged from five to seven years.

Extending players early and betting on performance is a common strategy for mid-tier spending teams looking to retain talent. Organizations like the White Sox and Braves have leaned heavily into this approach. The gold standard remains Ronald Acuña Jr.’s eight-year, $100 million extension signed in 2018.

That strategy raises an important question: should the Padres be doing the same? From a market standpoint, teams like the Braves, White Sox and A’s operate in a similar financial tier to San Diego, and the Padres have experimented with this model before.

Rookie sensation Jackson Merrill is currently locked into a nine-year, $135 million extension signed in April. Was that a one-time deal, or a signal of a new strategy?

Alongside Merrill, Fernando Tatis Jr.’s $25 million annual salary continues to look like a bargain. Manny Machado’s contract, however, is set to climb to nearly $40 million annually beginning in 2026, adding further complexity to the future payroll. If general manager A.J. Preller wants to avoid a financial conflict down the line, extending more young talent will be the best path forward.

The most obvious candidate is flamethrowing closer Mason Miller. He remains arbitration eligible through 2029, but given his physical traits, his price could rise quickly. His fastball velocity sits in the 100th percentile at 101.1 mph. That heater commands nearly $10 million per season by itself.

Padres coach Craig Stammen has also indicated that the door remains open for Miller to transition into a starting role if he chooses. While that won’t happen in 2026, even a single productive season as a starter would send his value soaring. Locking him in before that possibility materializes would be a necessary move.

For Miller, an early extension would provide financial security before attempting a difficult position change. For the Padres, it would also help validate the aggressive deadline deal that sent baseball’s No. 4 prospect, Leo De Vries, to acquire him.

Beyond Miller, there aren’t any clear extension candidates on the current MLB roster. That shifts attention toward top prospects Ethan Salas and Kruz Schoolcraft. Schoolcraft is just 18 and has logged one professional inning, but Salas presents a more complex case.

Despite being a top-10 prospect in baseball in 2024, Salas has fallen out of the top 100 entirely after an injury-filled 2025 season. Preller is heavily invested in his development, especially given the organization’s reluctance to spend meaningful resources at catcher. On one hand, extending Salas when his MLB debut approaches could provide long-term stability at a premium position.

On the other hand, his recent struggles create real uncertainty.

If Preller still believes he’s the catcher of the future, the smartest play would be to take advantage of the opportunity to buy-low and act in the next few seasons.

In a league where the Dodgers and Mets can outspend nearly everyone in free agency, competitive teams like the A’s and Padres have to find alternative ways to sustain success. Using the Wilson and Merrill extensions as blueprints, San Diego needs to continue prioritizing early investments in young talent.