The Cardinals drafted Oscar Mercado out of high school in Florida with their second-round draft pick in 2013, but it appeared his tenure with the club had run its course five years later when they traded him to Cleveland.
After having been raised as a ballplayer in the Cardinals farm system, his first experience in the big leagues came with Cleveland. That’s where he initially established himself in the majors, but he never forgot about the Cardinals.
This offseason, Mercado returned to the Cardinals organization. Up until this past week, that meant providing depth in the minor leagues.