The Cleveland Guardians announced a handful of roster moves prior to Tuesday’s game in Minnesota. Franmil Reyes and Aaron Civale have been activated from the injured list while they have designated Oscar Mercado for assignment.
Civale is slated to start against the Twins Tuesday while Reyes returns to the Guardians lineup.
Mercado has struggled mightily since his rookie season which saw productive output. This move from Cleveland is a continuance of forward thinking roster maintenance. The club has been willing to turn the page on non-productive players in order to give younger players more playing time. Cleveland could have just as easily kept Mercado instead of opting for the combination of Steven Kwan, Myles Straw, Oscar Gonzalez, and Richie Palacios. This proactive style has been long desired from fans and media alike. Continuing in this manner will result in proper roster evaluation and churning through players who are definitively not part of their future.