DETROIT — The Detroit Tigers have signed outfielder Oscar Mercado to a minor-league contract and assigned him to Triple-A Toledo.
Mercado, who will turn 30 in December, has spent parts of five seasons in the major leagues with three different teams.
Originally from Cartagena, Colombia, Mercado is best remembered for his standout rookie season with Cleveland in 2019. However, he struggled significantly during the COVID-shortened 2020 season and hasn’t secured a consistent starting role since then.
A right-handed batter, Mercado was considered a strong defensive center fielder early in his career and has considerable experience playing the other two outfield positions. He has also performed better against left-handed pitchers, making him a viable platoon option at various points in his career.
Raised in Tampa, Florida, Mercado was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the second round of the 2013 draft. He was traded to Cleveland in 2018.
In 2022, the Philadelphia Phillies claimed Mercado off waivers from Cleveland, but the Guardians reclaimed him just eight days later.
After the season, Mercado became a free agent and re-signed with his original team, the Cardinals. He had a brief stint with St. Louis last year but primarily played with Triple-A affiliates in Memphis (Cardinals), Oklahoma City (Dodgers), and El Paso (Padres).
This season, Mercado spent most of his time in El Paso before opting out of his contract about three weeks ago to become a free agent.
The Mud Hens sought reinforcements following the recent promotions of Jace Jung, Trey Sweeney, Spencer Torkelson, and Ryan Kreidler.
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