Phillies Claim Mercado Off Waivers from Guardians

The Philadelphia Phillies announced that they have claimed outfielder Óscar Mercado off of waivers from the Cleveland Guardians.

Mercado will be placed on the 40-man roster on Tuesday, as left-hander Damon Jones will head to the 60-day injured list with a left shoulder impingement. When Mercado reports, there will be an additional 26-man roster move.

The move comes in wake of Bryce Harper being out indefinitely with a fractured left thumb, and the Phillies needing to stock up on some outfield depth. Mercado is a more than serviceable pick-up.

Mercado is 27 years old and was drafted in the second round of the 2013 MLB Draft by the St. Louis Cardinals. He made his debut with the Guardians in 2019, batting .269 with 15 home runs and 54 RBI.

However, he's since declined since his solid rookie campaign, sporting a career .235/.287/.377 slash line with 26 home runs and 95 RBI across 272 games. He also walks at a shockingly low rate, walking only 57 times.

In 2022, Mercado is batting .202 alongside a .604 OPS, four homers, and 16 RBI. He does possess some speed, defensive upside, and bat-to-ball skills that should serve well as a platoon option in Philadelphia's outfield.

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