The Phillies bolstered their outfield depth on Tuesday by signing 31-year-old Oscar Mercado to a minor-league deal, according to MLB Trade Rumors.
Mercado, who has experience in both the majors and minors, returns to Philadelphia for his third stint after a single big-league at-bat in 2022 and 115 games last season at Triple-A Lehigh Valley, where he hit .249/.369/.373 with 40 stolen bases, 69 walks, and 68 strikeouts.
Mercado had been in spring training with the Arizona Diamondbacks but was released on Monday, and the Phillies quickly moved to bring him back amid a need for center-field depth.
Johan Rojas’ recent 80-game PED suspension left the team thin at the position, with Pedro Leon the only other upper-level minor-league option if Justin Crawford were injured.
While Rojas had served as a right-handed-hitting option in center, the Phillies plan to play Crawford daily there and platoon Brandon Marsh in left, though Marsh can cover center as well.
Mercado and Leon now provide insurance against injuries or struggles from Crawford or Marsh, with utilityman Dylan Moore also capable of playing center for 105 MLB innings.
Originally drafted by the Cardinals in 2013, Mercado enjoyed his rookie season in 2019 with Cleveland, hitting .269 with a .761 OPS, 15 homers, 25 doubles, and 15 steals, finishing eighth in AL Rookie of the Year voting.
He struggled in 2020 and never regained a regular role, bouncing between Cleveland, Philadelphia, and the Guardians before spending most of the past three seasons at Triple-A with 2,264 plate appearances and 272 games in center.
Other outfield depth includes corner outfielder Bryan De La Cruz at Triple-A, who could reach the majors if Garcia, Marsh, or Kemp are sidelined; Dante Nori, the Phillies’ 2024 first-round pick, who has minor-league center experience and impressed in the World Baseball Classic for Team Italy; and left-handed corner outfielder Gabriel Rincones Jr., whose spring was slowed by knee tendinitis but remains a power threat.
