With outfield injuries and production issues, the Cleveland Indians turned to the minor league trade market to add depth to their outfield crew
The Indians made a move to bolster their outfield rotation by acquiring Leonys Martin from the division rival Detroit Tigers, but they weren’t done dealing on deadline day. The Indians traded Conner Capel and Jhon Torres to the St Louis Cardinals and in return received Oscar Mercado.
#Indians acquired Oscar Mercado from the #STLCards in exchange for Conner Capel and Jhon Torres, source tells The Athletic.
— Robert Murray (@ByRobertMurray) July 31, 2018
While Oscar Mercado may not help in the short term, he could be a huge piece for the team in the future. He was a top ten prospects for the Cardinals and MLB.com’s Prospect Watch has him at fourteen in the Indians farm system. However, Mercado may not be too far away from being a mainstay with the big league club. He has been playing (and playing well) with the Cardinals Triple-A affiliate team and will need to be on the forty man roster by the end of the year. The tweet below shows how some Cardinals fans are feeling about the move.
The Cardinals trading Oscar Mercado is the kind of logjam clearing we've asked for, except...
— Brenden Schaeffer🎳 (@bschaeffer12) July 31, 2018
They seem to have acquired a younger, less good OF for him? Mercado took up a 40-man spot, but where's the upside here? Mo is taking pieces and kicking the can further down the road.
More from Cleveland Guardians
- A guide for Cleveland Guardians fans with eyes on 2024
- Is there a role for Noah Syndergaard with Cleveland Guardians in 2024?
- Cleveland Guardians minor league affiliate hopping on the Tim Anderson fight aftermath
- After Aaron Civale trade, Cleveland Guardians are punting on 2023 season
- Why there’s no reason for Cleveland Guardians to keep Amed Rosario
The Cleveland Indians have featured eight different outfielders this season: Michael Brantley, Tyler Naquin, Rajai Davis, Brandon Guyer, Greg Allen, Bradley Zimmer, Lonnie Chisenhall and Melky Cabrera. It’s very clear that they are looking for stability in the outfield, particularly in center field and right field. Oscar Mercado can play anywhere in the outfield and is putting up decent hitting numbers in the minors (.285/.351/.408). He may be a year or two away from being a good role player on the team, but the Indians can wait. Their two best players, Jose Rameriez and Fransisco Lindor, are 25 and 24 respectively. The championship window is wide open in Cleveland, and Oscar Mercado can help it stay that way.
While this deal may not pay immediate dividends for the Cleveland Indians, Oscar Mercado has a solid blend of skills that could easily lead him to a bright major league future!