Phillies Claim Oufielder From Guardians

The Philadelphia Phillies are making yet another attempt to find a center fielder, this time by claiming former Cleveland Guardians top prospect Oscar Mercado. 

OF Oscsr Mercado claimed by @Phillies . Good luck to Merc, truly a class act

— GuardsInsider (@GuardsInsider) June 27, 2022

In his rookie season in Cleveland in 2019, Mercado was a long-awaited call-up in May, and went on to produce an exciting rookie campaign of 15 home runs and 15 stolen bases, to go along with a .269 average and .761 OPS. He finished 8th in Rookie of the Year balloting.

Things haven't gone so well for Mercado since then, however. His 2020 season saw him bat .128 in 38 games, then last season he batted just .224 with a .669 OPS in about half a season. This year, he's played in 49 games and is batting .202.

The Guardians designated him for assignment last week, leading to today's claim by the Phillies. They're hoping to re-ignite that spark that Mercado displayed as a rookie. He can still definitely bring the leather, as he is an above-average outfielder. That will certainly help the Phils, who are one of the worst defensive teams in the majors this season. 

Photo Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports