The Detroit Tigers have vaulted toward the top of the American League this season, but their success didn’t happen overnight. Several faces have come and gone as Detroit has built a team that enters Monday with a 65-48 record and an eight-game lead over the Cleveland Guardians in the American League Central, and the revolving door has continued as others have tried to find success elsewhere.
That list includes a player who spent just three months in Detroit but has already quit on his new team as he looks for an opportunity to get back to the major leagues.
Former Tigers OF Oscar Mercado Exercises Opt-Out Clause with Phillies
According to Steve Adams of MLB Trade Rumors, former Tigers outfielder Oscar Mercada has enacted an opt-out clause in his minor league contract with the Philadelphia Phillies. While the clause allows players to terminate their contract under specific circumstances, the Phillies decided to release the 30-year-old and allow him to find an opportunity.
That could be a difficult search for Mercado. A second-round pick by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 2013 draft, Mercado was traded to the Cleveland Guardians in July of 2018 and made his major league debut the following season, hitting .269/.318/.443 with 15 homers, 54 RBI, and 15 stolen bases on 19 attempts in 115 games.
But Mercado’s rookie season would be the only time he would play in more than 100 major league games in a season. He hit just .128 during the shortened 2020 season and hit .224/.300/.369 with six homers, 19 RBI, and seven stolen bases in eight attempts over 72 games in 2021. He was designated for assignment midway through the 2022 campaign and played his last major league game with the Cardinals in 2023.
Mercado has tried to get back to the majors since, signing minor league deals with the San Diego Padres, Los Angeles Dodgers, and the Tigers last season. But his .252/.373/.385 batter’s line at Triple-A Lehigh Valley hasn’t punched a ticket back to the major league.
The Phillies chose to go in another direction, acquiring Harrison Bader from the Minnesota Twins at the trade deadline, which potentially led to Mercado opting out. With other teams shuffling their rosters at the deadline, Mercado could find another opportunity and perhaps complete his path back to the majors.