Padres: All-Star outfielder Jackson Merrill and the Padres agreed Wednesday to a nine-year, $135 million contract covering 2026-34. Merrill, who turns 22 on April 19, was moved from shortstop to center field in spring training last year when the Padres had only two outfielders on their roster. He made the opening day roster and hit .292 with 24 homers, 90 RBIs and 16 stolen bases. He finished second in NL Rookie of the Year voting. Merrill gets a $10 million signing bonus, $1 million payable within 30 days of the contract’s approval by Major League Baseball and $3 million on Jan. 15 in each of the next three years. He gets salaries of $1 million in 2026, $6 million in 2027, $8 million in 2028, $10 million in 2029 and $20 million annually from 2030-34. The Padres have a $21 million option for 2034 that would become a player option at the same salary if he finishes among the top five in MVP voting in any season from 2026-34. His salary would escalate by $1 million for all remaining years for any season in which he has 500 or more plate appearances. Merrill’s option price would escalate by $1 million each time he finishes among the top 10 in MVP voting.

Red Sox: Kristian Campbell agreed to an eight-year, $60 million contract with the Red Sox, less than a week after his major league debut. Campbell’s deal includes team options for 2033 and ’34. A 22-year-old INF/OF, Campbell made his big league debut as the Red Sox’s youngest opening day starter at second since Reggie Smith. He entered Wednesday hitting .375 with two doubles, one HR, two RBIs and four walks.

Pirates: Paul Skenes needed nearly three innings to warm up, then struck out six over seven innings and the Pirates beat the host Rays 4-2. Oneil Cruz hit his second HR of the season and drove in another to give Skenes, the 2024 National League Rookie of the Year, his first win of 2025. The 22-year-old right-hander didn’t walk a batter and was on the mound when the Rays scored an unearned run in the sixth. Skenes generated 13 swings-and-misses, but didn’t strike out his first batter until the third inning, a career first for him.

Rangers: Jack Leiter shut the Reds down for the second game in a row and the Rangers won 1-0. The visiting Rangers were outscored 14-5 in the series but still won the three-game series. Leiter (2-0) retired the first 11 Reds batters until Elly De La Cruz doubled. He left after the fifth inning with a blister on his pitching hand but still tied his career-high with six strikeouts. Josh Smith’s two-out double in the fourth inning scored Joc Pederson with the first run of the game. Hunter Greene (0-1) struck out Jake Burger for the 500th strikeout of his career. Jacob Webb, Robert Garcia, Chris Martin and Luke Jackson, who earned his third save, backed up Leiter with four scoreless innings.

Cardinals: Iván Herrera hit three HRs to help the Cardinals beat the visiting Angels 12-5. Herrera hit his third HR of the game, and of the season, off Sean Burke to cap a seven-run eighth for the Cards. Herrera hit a two-run HR in the sixth, and a solo shot in the fourth off Angels starter Yusei Kikuchi to give him his first career multi-HR game. Wilson Contreras drew a bases-loaded walk off Burke to break a 5-5 tie after Ian Anderson (0-1) allowed three straight hits to open the bottom of the eighth.

Dodgers: The Dodgers acquired OF Esteury Ruiz from the Athletics in exchange for minor league RHP Carlos Duran. Ruiz, a 26-year-old right-handed hitter who was designated for assignment by the A’s three days earlier, will be optioned to the Dodgers’ Triple-A affiliate.