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Phillies silently release former Guardians breakout rookie outfielder

Oscar Mercado’s second stint in the Philadelphia Phillies organization came to an end over the weekend. The 30-year-old outfielder opted out of his minor league deal, and was granted his release by the Phillies, adding another intriguing player to the post-deadline free agent market.

Mercado, a second round pick in 2013 by the St Louis Cardinals, burst on to the scene in 2019 as a member of the (then) Cleveland Indians with a strong rookie season. He finished the campaign with a .269 average to go along with 15 home runs and 54 RBIs, and he finished in the top 10 of Rookie of the Year voting.