The Guardians have informed reporters, including Zack Meisel of The Athletic, that they are selecting the contract of outfielder Alex Call with Oscar Mercado being designated for assignment in a corresponding move.
Call, 27, was a third round draft pick of the White Sox in 2016 and appeared on Baseball America’s list of top farmhands in the system in 2017 and 2018. Their reports on him noted that he didn’t have a standout tool, but had the work ethic and baseball instincts to be a well-rounded player without obvious weaknesses.
In December of 2018, he moved across the division in the 2018 trade that sent Yonder Alonso to Chicago. In 2019, his first year in Cleveland’s system, he had a disappointing campaign in Double-A, hitting .205/.266/.321 for a wRC+ of 72. He also struck out at a 28.6% clip and walk just 6.8% of the time.
After the minor leagues were canceled by the pandemic in 2020, Call came out flying in 2021. Returning to the Akron RubberDucks, he got into 43 games, cutting his strikeout rate almost in half to 14.4%, while walking 11.7% of the time. He slashed .310/.389/.503 for a 142 wRC+ and earned a promotion to Triple-A. His first stint with the Columbus Clippers didn’t go so well, despite keeping his rate stats in good form. In 66 Triple-A games last year, he was struck out in 14.1% of his plate appearances, walked in 12.3% of them, but hit just .229/.335/.394, 99 wRC+. This year, however, he’s got even 16.4% strikeout and walk rates while hitting .283/.418/.504 for a 148 wRC+.
Call has played all three outfield spots in his minor league career, including this year. The Guardians have used Myles Straw and Steven Kwan regularly as two of their outfielders this season. Rookie Oscar Gonzalez seemed to be earning a spot beside them until he landed on the injured list. Another rookie got his promotion a few days ago, when Nolan Jones was bumped up to the big leagues. Call will now join that group and see if he can carry any of his offensive skills up to the majors. With Franmil Reyes struggling mightily as the club’s DH, it’s also possible that these four outfielders nudge him out of some playing time there. Reyes is striking out 40.8% of the time this year and hitting .212/.257/.369 for a wRC+ of 75.
As for Mercado, 27, this is his third DFA in less than a month. He started the year with the Guardians, who cut him loose June 21. He was claimed by the Phillies but then got his second DFA a few days later. The Guardians decided to claim him and bring him back, though his second stint only lasted about a week.
In 2019, Mercado had an excellent rookie season that seemed to establish him as a key building block in the Guardians outfield. That year, he hit 15 dingers, stole 15 bags, hit .269/.318/.443 for a 99 wRC+ and played excellent center field defense, producing 2.2 fWAR in the process. However, it’s been a rough couple of years for Mercado, which started with a disastrous 2020. In the shortened season, he hit just .128/.174/.174, with his strikeout rate shooting up to 29%, after being at 17.4% in his rookie year. He corrected things somewhat in 2021, getting his line to .224/.300/.369 for a wRC+ of 84. He couldn’t build on it in 2022, though, with his numbers slouching downwards again and forcing him into a nomadic life on the waiver wire. Given his past potential and relative youth, he’s likely to garner interest from other clubs again. The Guardians will have a week to trade him, pass him through waivers or release him.
Mercado is like an unlucky penny….he just won’t go away!!
And he finally gets the Call!
Why did they even claim Mercado last week in the first place? I thought the logical outcome was Mercado gets called up when Straw gets sent to AAA to find himself at the plate
Not Brennan?
I wonder if Call is ultimately just a roster filler for a little bit (much like Mercado) and he is ultimately a DFA candidate.. I think Vargas is coming off the 60 day IL soon and they will need to make a move on the 40-man roster.
The 40-man is already at 39. Call isn’t an automatic DFA, especially considering they need someone who can, like, play major league caliber defense in the OF. That’s why they picked up Mercado again in the first place. Call carries a decent glove and maybe, just maybe, might give the team some professional AB’s.
I didn’t realize the roster was at 39, good point.
Avory;
1. I responded to you in the other article on why I’m uncomfortable with the pitching.
2. I’m sure there’s a reason they (re)claimed Mercado for a week when they could have brought up Call then, but it does seem a bit odd.
3. Francona is the best manager in MLB, primarily for his patience with players working out their games…..particularly young players. Cleveland is sorting through a lot of position players this year. I’m sure the coaches are working with each one and Terry will give each one a fair shot at playing time. So far the youngsters started with a bang, the league gets some video on them, and they come back down to earth. Kwan seems to then have made adjustments and he seems like a young Luis Arraez to me. An extremely disciplined, smart, natural hitter that will get strong over the next few years. Rosario and Gimenez have worked out very well for them. Want to see more of Nolan Jones and especially Gabriel Arias.
Cleveland will have a lot of prospects to trade. Would love to seem them package 3 quality ones for Keibert Ruiz before the Nationals ruin him – working with Sandy Alomar would make him one of the best Catchers in MLB.
@dixoncayne
No need to start the clock on someone who has a future. Besides, Brennan has more trade value (if we’re so inclined) not being on the 40 man. This makes him more attractive to other teams with roster issues of their own.
Brennan isn’t and shouldn’t be a 4th outfielder, I would love to see him and kwan in the lineup together…but not at the expense of regular at bats and playing time for development. Nolan Jones has played well, Gonzalez has done great. Gonzalez, Kwan, Jones, Brennan and Valera we might actually have an outfield fokes!
The youth movement continues.. The Guardians aren’t ready for prime time yet but watch out for them in the next few years.
now that there’s incentive to “let the kids play”, I personally believe that baseball is fun to watch again! No more 1 yr veteran deals that Tito loved so much (Trot Nixon, Michael Martinez, Shelley Duncan, etc.)
Call will be released. They are opening a aaa slot for Valera
Wanting to promote Valera has nothing to do with needing to release Call.
Not a 40 man issue but rather clearing a position and at bats for a promotion
Cleveland has a good number of Italian Americans living there. Not as many as New York, but still a good percentage of its population.
sucks to be Oscar
Thank you. Now, Don’t ever reclaim him. Oscar is a 5th OF at best. Send him away with Sandy Leon and don’t mention them again.
This week on “Who Will DFA Oscar Mercado?”
I think the narrative of Mercado should be: batted between Lindor and Ramirez in 2019, after that he was exposed for what he is, weak hitter.
Writer must get paid by the word…could have summed this up with “AAAA player Call replaces AAAA Mercado on MLB roster.
Lets give Call the chance to show what he can do. Could he be a AAAA player? Yes. But let’s find out before branding him.
I wonder if Franmil will be on the way out when Oscar Gonzalez returns? Reyes isn’t worth much in a trade, so they will probably DFA him.
Puh-leeze, this is one of the worst takes I’ve seen in awhile. Reyes has substantial value throughout baseball. There would be numerous teams interested in him should he ever go on the block. The idea that several weeks of seeing Oscar Gonzalez has made Reyes redundant is absurd.
Seriously? Mercado DAFd again?! For crying out loud, is this normal practice? If it is, I would be finding a new profession. Granted, he has been struggling, and he might not be an All Star contender, but you can’t improve if you are sitting the bench, asked to pinch run, and DAFd, back and forth like a ping pong ball.
I’ve also noticed he’s not the only player struggling over the past few weeks….just sayin’.
If he isn’t a good enough player to stay with the organization, release him for good, so he can move on. This back and forth is a total lack of respect.
God’s speed Oscar. I’m sure you’re handling it more maturely than I would.
I’d tell them where they can put their bat.