Outfielder Óscar Mercado opted out of his minor league contract with the Padres, experiences MLBTR’s Steve Adams (X hyperlink). San Diego didn’t name him up, so the 29-year-old heads again to free company.
Mercado signed with the Friars over the winter. He mashed in Spring Coaching however didn’t break camp and has spent the season with Triple-A El Paso. Mercado’s manufacturing within the Pacific Coast League has been under common. He’s hitting .226/.307/.425 in a really favorable league for hitters. His .231 common on balls in play definitely hasn’t completed him any favors, as Mercado’s 9.1% stroll share and 16% strikeout price are each strong.
A former second-round decide, Mercado appeared within the majors every season between 2019-23. He seemed like a possible on a regular basis middle fielder as a rookie in Cleveland, although his manufacturing dropped off sharply from there. Because the begin of 2020, he owns a .206/.262/.334 slash in practically 500 large league plate appearances.
Mercado remains to be able to taking part in all three outfield positions. He logged a good quantity of motion in each middle and proper area this season. He’s an above-average runner who swiped 12 bases in 16 tries for El Paso. His camp will presumably pursue one other minor league contract with a workforce in search of non-roster outfield depth.
