Detroit Tigers should consider re-signing Jordy Mercer
It has been a rough year for the Detroit Tigers, but Jordy Mercer has provided value as a veteran presence on a rebuilding club.
Last offseason, the Detroit Tigers signed Jordy Mercer to a one-year deal. At the time, he appeared to be the perfect short-term, stopgap solution to fill in at shortstop while players such as Willi Castro continued to develop in the minor leagues.
The experiment has gone so well that the Tigers should consider keeping Mercer around beyond this season.
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With just one game left to go in 2019, Mercer is having a season that has rivaled his best years with the Pittsburgh Pirates, even though he has spent some time on the injured list. He is currently hitting a solid .266/.307/.433 with nine home runs and 21 RBI.
According to Chris McCosky of the Detroit News, Mercer has also informed the Tigers that he is open to returning.
The aforementioned Castro had a fantastic season in Triple-A, hitting .301/.366/.467 with 11 homers and 62 RBI. He has had a decent enough showing during his time with the Tigers this September, hitting .237/.292/.351 with a homer through 29 games.
In a separate article, McCosky also writes that it is not yet set in stone that Castro will be the starting shortstop in 2020. There is also a chance that Castro could wind up at second-base.
If the Tigers do decide to give Castro a chance to win the everyday shortstop job, it might also make sense to bring back Mercer as a utility man, a role that Gordon Beckham fulfilled in 2019.
After all, in addition to shortstop, Mercer did see time at first base, second base, and even a little third base this season. That said, other teams might still be interested in his services as a shortstop.
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Bringing Mercer back either as a utility man or as an insurance policy for Willi Castro is an idea well worth considering. The Tigers are a rebuilding team with many young, developing players, and it would make sense to keep a veteran presence such as Mercer in the mix.