DUNEDIN, FL – FEBRUARY 16: President of Baseball Operations for the Philadelphia Phillies Dave Dombrowski speaks to the media during the Spring Training Grapefruit League Media Day at Blue Jays Player Development Complex on Thursday, February 16, 2023 in Dunedin, Florida. (Photo by Mike Carlson/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Philadelphia Phillies have some important decisions to make with several familiar faces this winter.
After four seasons with the team, designated hitter Kyle Schwarber has reached free agency on the heels of a Most Valuable Player Award caliber season and it will take a long-term contract to win him back. And after seven years with the team, starting catcher JT Realmuto has reached free agency as easily the best backstop option available. Plus, after eight seasons with the team, pitcher Ranger Suarez has reached free agency with virtually every contending team in need of more starting depth.
The Phillies are unlikely to bring all three players back, so some tough choices lie ahead. But in the meantime, the team has been able to strike a reunion with Michael Mercado after they sent him onto the market in a creative way.
“Mercado, 27 in April, was just non-tendered last month,” Darragh McDonald reported for MLB Trade Rumors. “He hadn’t yet qualified for arbitration but the non-tender deadline is the only day in the year when a player can be sent directly to free agency without being exposed to waivers. By taking that path with Mercado, the Phils gave him a chance to sign with the other 29 clubs but it also gave them the chance to quickly bring him back in a non-roster capacity.”
With a little creativity, the Phillies have been able to retain Mercado while keeping some roster flexibility for other moves this winter. That makes it pretty clear that the team values him, despite a harsh 15.00 ERA in three major league innings from last season.
The team originally landed Mercado in a trade with the Tampa Bay Rays in 2023 and he’s been able to seize a regular spot on the big-league roster since then. But the scouting report suggests he has some upside that has yet to be realized.
“(He) has a power arm — four seamer (95-99 mph), cutter, big break curve and changeup,” Phillies’ minor league analyst Steve Potter wrote. “Still has plenty of time to make his mark in the major leagues — after his strong finish to the 2025 season that might just come next spring.”
Mercado seems to have a chance to seize a spot on the Phillies’ opening day roster, either in the rotation or in the bullpen, with good preseason showing. And with the team’s bigger reunion roster decisions still up in the air, that could make a big difference.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/peterchawaga/2025/12/05/phillies-reunite-with-free-agent-quickly-after-creative-roster-move/
