Do you ever find yourself lying awake at night and reflecting on what your favorite moment of Óscar Mercado's first stint on the Philadelphia Phillies was? The former second-round pick by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 2013 MLB Draft made his way to Philly in 2022, but he got just one at-bat in the big leagues, striking out in the process.
You're forgiven if you don't remember that happening.
However, it sounds like Mercado has been brought back to the Phillies and will get his shot at redemption. On Friday, the Phillies announced that Mercado and infielder Christian Arroyo have both been signed to minor league contracts. Each of the veterans will be in big league spring training as non-roster invitees.
The Phillies have invited two additional players to attend major league spring training as non-roster invitees.
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) February 14, 2025
INF Christian Arroyo
OF Óscar Mercado
Phillies bring back Óscar Mercado on minor league contract
Back in June of 2022, Mercado was claimed off of waivers from the Cleveland Guardians. He got into that one game for the Phillies, struck out, and was then designated for assignment once again on July 1. That lone at-bat was the only one he logged in the entire Phillies organization, never having suited up in the minor leagues.
Outside of his 2019 season when he put up 2.3 bWAR and finished eighth in the AL Rookie of the Year voting, Mercado has not done much at the game's highest level. Yet, he's seen big league time in five seasons and always manages to find a job. He did not make any appearances in the big leagues last year, but spent time in the minor league systems of the San Diego Padres and Detroit Tigers.
All told, Mercado's 2024 season consisted of 93 games. He hit 12 home runs with 50 RBI, went 16-for-20 in stolen base attempts and recorded a .713 OPS.
It's unlikely Mercado is going to put much pressure on any of the current outfielders projected to make the Phillies' Opening Day roster. However, he's got wheels, double-digit home run pop and the ability to play all three spots in the outfield. There's still value here, even if he's not going to tear the cover off the ball like some of the sluggers in the Phillies lineup.
Instead, the 30-year-old seems ticketed for a spot in Triple-A to open the year. He'll likely share time with the likes of Cal Stevenson, Matt Kroon and Gabriel Rincones Jr. in the outfield for Lehigh Valley.