Padres Rookie Wishes He Was Still on the Same Team as His Traded Former Teammate

His teammate was traded back in 2022.

David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

Former San Diego Padres outfielder James Wood made his MLB debut on Monday. Wood was traded to the Washington Nationals back in 2022 as part of the Padres' trade for Juan Soto. He spent one full year with the Padres organization, who drafted him in the second round of the 2021 MLB Draft.

His old teammate and friend, Jackson Merrill, is happy for Wood, but wishes the two were still playing together on the Padres.

“I wish I was still on the same team as him,” Merrill said, via MLB.com's A.J. Cassavell. “But [stuff] happens, and maybe it might be better for both of our careers. But I’m super pumped for him. … I hope he goes and dominates.”

Merrill also noted that he wishes Wood made his debut last week, when the Padres faced the Nationals, so the two could have faced off and seen each other. The Padres will go up against the Nationals again in late July though, which should give the two former teammates another chance to square off.

Both players are finding early success in MLB. Merrill made his debut in the outfield to start the year, becoming one of the youngest players to do so. On the season, he is slashing .294/.328/.464 with 12 home runs and 42 RBIs. Meanwhile, Wood has slashed .353/.463/.595 with 10 home runs and 37 RBIs in Triple-A this season. He went 1-for-4 in his debut on Monday night.