Oscar Mercado (OF, CLE) - Week 9 Waiver Wire Pickups

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ANALYSIS: When the Indians first called up outfield prospect Oscar Mercado, it was assumed he'd take over an everyday role with the club. That didn't happen for a few weeks, but the recent DFA of veteran outfielder Carlos Gonzalez seems to have paved way for Mercado to play everyday, which is a great sign for deep league fantasy owners, and for those who are in need of steals.

Sunday's game saw Mercado blast his first home run of the season, and he is now sitting with a .296/.387/.519 slash line through 31 plate appearances. Although he hasn't swiped a base yet, Mercado's minor league track record indicates that he should be a good source of steals for the rest of the season, especially if he gets every day at-bats.

The return of Tyler Naquin and potentially Bradley Zimmer could be a factor for playing time down the line, but for now, those in deeper leagues who need speed should be snapping him up.