Recent roster changes by the Detroit Tigers have left significant gaps in their minor league depth. They have promoted Jace Jung, Trey Sweeney, Spencer Torkleson, and Ryan Kreidler to the major leagues.
The injury to Javier Baez, who is coping with inflammation in his right hip and lumbar spine, led to Kreidler’s elevation. The Tigers signed a seasoned free agent to the Toledo Mud Hens in an attempt to replace that skill at Triple-A.
Oscar Mercado and they reached an agreement on a minor league deal.After using his opt-out in his non-roster agreement with the San Diego Padres, he has been a free agent for the past few weeks.
Mercado wasn’t having a terrific season with the Padres, despite playing in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League, with a slash line of.226/.307/.425. His bat never really took off, but as an outfield glove, he is superb.
That is the main explanation behind Detroit’s signing of him. He plays all three outfield positions well as a defender, but he spends most of his time in center and right field.
He should join the Tigers since there’s a chance he’ll be called up to the major leagues. Without a typical fourth outfielder right now, Mercado might be promoted to the starting lineup as the team’s best outfield player off the bench if he performs well.
Since he has historically batted better against left-handed pitchers, he might play a platoon role. With 78 games played this year, he has hit 11 home runs and swiped 12 bases, demonstrating his strong power/speed combo.
After being selected in the second round by the St. Louis Cardinals in 2013, Mercado joined Cleveland in the Major Leagues for the COVID-19 pandemic-shortened 2020 season. He immediately had an effect, slashing.269/.318/.443, with 15 home runs and 15 stolen bases.
Regretfully, he has never been able to approximate those figures.
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