Detroit Tigers Sign Former Second Round Pick to Minor League Deal
The Detroit Tigers have made a lot of moves recently with their roster.
They have promoted Jace Jung, Trey Sweeney, Spencer Torkleson and Ryan Kreidler to the big leagues, leaving some voids in their minor league depth.
Kreidler’s promotion was prompted by the injury to Javier Baez, who is dealing with inflammation to his right hip and lumbar spine. Looking to replace that talent in Triple-A, the Tigers made a move to sign a veteran free agent to the Toledo Mud Hens.
They agreed to a minor league contract with Oscar Mercado.
He has spent the last few weeks as a free agent after exercising the opt-out in his non-roster deal he agreed to with the San Diego Padres.
With the Padres, Mercado wasn’t having a great season, recording a slash line of .226/.307/.425 despite playing in the Pacific Coast League, which is considered hitter-friendly. While his bat never got going, he is an excellent glove for the outfield.
That is as much of a reason that Detroit signed him as any. He is a plus defender at all three outfield positions, logging a majority of his innings in center and right field.
The Tigers are a logical landing spot for him as there is a chance he will get called up to the big leagues. Operating currently without a traditional fourth outfielder, if Mercado gets hot the team could promote him as their top outfielder off the bench.
Traditionally, he has hit better against left-handed pitching, so he could find himself in a platoon type of role. He possesses a solid power/speed combination, hitting 11 home runs with 12 stolen bases in 78 games this year.
Originally a second-round pick of the St. Louis Cardinals in 2013, Mercado made his Major League debut with Cleveland during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic-shortened season. He made an immediate impact, hitting 15 home runs with 15 stolen bases, recording a slash line of .269/.318/.443.
Unfortunately, he has never gotten close to replicating those numbers.
He has been bouncing around the minor leagues in recent years, but the Tigers have provided him with a legitimate chance of getting back into the MLB.
KENNETH TEAPE
Kenneth Teape is an alumnus of SUNY Old Westbury and graduated in 2013 with an Honors Degree in Media Communications with a focus on print journalism. During his time at Old Westbury, he worked for the school newspaper and several online publications, such as Knicks Now, the official website of the New York Knicks, and a self-made website with fellow students, Gotham City Sports News. Kenneth has also been a site expert at Empire Writes Back, Musket Fire, and Lake Show Life within the FanSided Network. He was a contributor to HoopsHabit, with work featured on Bleacher Report and Yardbarker. In addition to his work here, he is a reporter for both NBA Analysis Network and NFL Analysis Network, as well as a writer and editor for Packers Coverage. You can follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @teapester725, or reach him via email at teapester725@gmail.com.