The Guardians have announced that they claimed outfielder Oscar Mercado off waivers from the Phillies, with right-hander Yohan Ramirez being designated for assignment in a corresponding move.
It’s a quick return to Cleveland for Mercado, as the Guardians just designated him for assignment on June 21. He was claimed by the Phillies on June 27 before being designated for assignment again on July 1 and now being claimed and becoming a Guardian yet again.
Cleveland fans are likely familiar with the trajectory by now, with Mercado giving a tantalizing debut in 2019 but disappointing results since then. In that 2019 campaign, Mercado hit 15 homers and stole 15 bags, putting up a batting line of .269/.318/.443. Combined with his defensive contributions, he was worth 2.2 wins above replacement that year, according to FanGraphs.
Given that he was just 24 years old at the time, it seemed reasonable to expect that might have just been the tip of the iceberg, with even better results to come as he matured. Unfortunately, the opposite has happened, with Mercado putting up a line of .198/.254/.330 in the 2 1/2 seasons since then, a line that amounts to a wRC+ of 60.
After those tepid results, Cleveland seemingly gave up on him a couple weeks ago but has had a quick change of heart. It seemed possible that the Phillies would give him a real shot, given their troubles in the outfield. Though perhaps they were only interested in trying to pass him through waivers to be stashed as extra depth. Whatever their intentions, his stay in Philly has concluded after just a single plate appearance.
As for Ramirez, 27, he was an Astros prospect until Seattle nabbed him in the 2019 Rule 5 draft. He stuck with the Mariners through the shortened 2020 season, throwing 20 2/3 innings with a 2.61 ERA despite walking 21.3% of the batters he faced. In 2021, he logged another 27 2/3 innings at the big league level with a 3.90 ERA, 30.7% strikeout rate, 10.5% walk rate and 34.4% ground ball rate. He couldn’t sustain that this year, however, as his ERA shot up to 7.56 in 8 1/3 innings with the Mariners.
He was designated for assignment and eventually traded to Cleveland for cash considerations. The Guardians gave him just a single appearance at the big league level but 10 1/3 innings in Triple-A. His 4.35 ERA with Columbus isn’t awful, but that’s come despite an alarming 22.7% walk rate. The 27-year-old still has options and intriguing strikeout numbers. He could garner interest from other clubs, especially if any of them think they can help him with his control issues. The Guardians will have a week to trade him or pass him through waivers.
What a shame. An All-Time Phillies great.
This move makes no sense. Other players should get a shot.
Ezequiel Carrera 2.0
The transactions allowed by MLB are a joke.
This is rotisserie league stuff.
Not trapping players within a single organization is a bad thing?
Jerking people around to where they don’t know where they will be working or living for up to a month IS a bad thing.
It’s the price they pay. It’s grueling, no doubt, but for a guy like him, the more teams he moves to, the better chance he has of catching on, which is ultimately what he wants.
Exactly. The rules are designed in conjunction with the MLBPA so that guys aren’t trapped in an organization without opportunity. How anyone can use the recent Mercado transactions as an indictment on the system I’ll never know. I do know this: I’m sure Oscar’s glad to be back, no matter how short-lived. it may be.
Why?
LOL
“Not trapping players within a single organization is a bad thing?”
So he got out of Cleveland for 12 days and came back. This is kids in the office saying who they’re playing on their fantasy team today.
“Why?”
Because fans of local sports teams sometimes have other things in life to attend to. They come back after 5 days to watch a game and can’t figure out who 3 guys wearing their teams uniform are….where they came from……and then have to hunt around to find the 3 guys that are no longer playing for them
Seriously, after years of underperforming Cleveland releases the guy. Philly likes him enough to take him on. 12 days later Philly realizes they don’t wants him, and Cleveland takes him back.
This is a total joke; as are at least 80% of MLB transactions. What you guys don’t get is that the casual fan – trying to support their local team as they go about their life – has no idea what’s going on…or why. Its like going to their neighborhood restaurant for a corned beef sandwich and and finding that today they’re serving tofu and sprouts.
Why do you care so much? This seems like a weird thing to be upset about.
They like Mercado but he wasn’t performing so they cut him and gave his ABs to someone else. Gonzalez goes on the IL and Mercado is available so boomshackalacka another chance for Mercado. He will likely be DFA again and I bet they hope he slips through the waivers considering he got through the AL and to the Phils in the NL.
Exactly. Cleveland would have loved to stash Mercado in Columbus, but simply couldn’t. There’s nothing about baseball’s arcane roster rules that are any different than any other sport. If this turns off casual fans–which I doubt it would, that’s why they’re called “casual”–fine, let ’em go to a movie instead. Whoever’s on the marquee will be in the film.
Avory;
You’re wrong about this and you’re contradicting yourself…..
On the one hand the rules are “arcane” because Cleveland cannot “stash Mercado in Columbus”….
On the other hand, you agree with the comment above that “that guys aren’t trapped in an organization without opportunity”
?
I agree with a solution a boss of mine made years ago…..
Players get one year contracts and are free agents at the end of the year.
And Avory – fans count. A product is marketed to the fans.
P.S. One of many reasons I stopped watching the NFL was that on each down 3-5 guys on each team run on and off the field. Genius Coaching and FO have that stuff all figured out.
But it’s sort of hard for me to be interested in a team sport when I don’t know who’s on the field from one play to the next.
“This is rotisserie league stuff”. You’re correct, Guardians cooked him on one side, the Phils basted him, & now back to Cleve to be cooked on the other side (probably burnt). Games people play…
The Nottingham Effect…
Or the Adam “Boomerang” Rosales effect.
Ummmm WHAT?!?!
Baby come back… You can blame it allll on me
Nice tune, nice reference.
just can’t liiiivve without ya…..
Welcome back, your dreams were your ticket out.
Cleveland Sweathogs.
His nightmares are his ticket back. Nothing like coming back to a team that just dumped your ass.
@Curly Was The Smart Stooge
I promise you: Oscar is thrilled to be back in this clubhouse.
That would be #1123 on a list of better nicknames than Guardians.
*burns Mercado Phillies jersey in disgust*
All the prospects we have and we bring this guy back?
They always said if it was truly mean to be you let it go and if it come back,. it’s real. I don’t think this what he meant.
Auttorect…..I despise you as much as this move.. It was supposed to be “meant” not “mean”.. that whole sentence is.. just.. I’m down voting myself.
The Phillies — who show remarkable faith in failed prospect Mickey Moniak — will regret not giving Mercado a longer look.
In fairness, they did invest an overall #1 pick in Moniak and only invested a waiver claim in Mercado. It might not be the right decision, but it is understandable that the Phils management really want Moniak to succeed for their own egos.
“…….but it is understandable that the Phils management really want Moniak to succeed for their own egos.”
Why?
Current Phils management had nothing to do with drafting Moniak.
Uhm because he’s still a 1/1 and him failing doesn’t look good for the org
Cleveland is still looking for the 2019 version of Mercado to show up. He was very impressive his rookie year and then significantly regressed since then to the point where he has been DFA’s twice. Perhaps the third time will be a charm?
Hope so. Mondo respect after seeing the way he and Myles stood up for their fallen teammate in the Bronx.
Mercado’s stay in Philly was even shorter than all time Marlins great Mike Piazza’s stay in Miami…
indians, always and forever
Guardians is objectively a better team name. Maybe not the best, but certainly better than Indians.
as an indian, i wasn’t on the snowflake sleigh
Cool. What part of India you or your family from?
Right? Or Indiana.
As a fan of Baltimore’s baseball team, I too feel the need to cry “Brewers, always and forever”.
Say, can you ask your mom to make us more pizza rolls? And can we turn the heat up in this basement?
you might need to go tea bag someone for free pizza rolls
Like your mom? Only if we can get her to come down into your basement.
childish to bring a family member into a put down. step up and bring something better than that.
indians wanted to see if a change of scenery was what was needed
Naw man. Tell me it ain’t so?
Good on the Guardians. Mercados a righteous dude. Hope it works for him this time.
I guess he is not clown enough for that circus of a team.
Why did PHI claim him to begin with?
Yay go Indians!!! And if you call it guardians you’re weak and soft. Stand up for what rights and that is not being offended by everything