Cardinals send Oscar Mercado to Indians for two outfield prospects

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While the Cardinals strayed away from making any major additions to the big league roster before the trade deadline, they did manage to tweak the minor league system with a pair of outfielders on Tuesday.

The Cardinals acquired minor league outfielders Conner Capel and Jhon Torres from the Cleveland Indians in exchange for Memphis (AAA) outfielder Oscar Mercado.

Capel, 21, a left-handed hitting centerfielder, was batting .261 with 6 home runs, 44 RBI and 15 stolen bases in 89 games for Lynchburg (A) this season, earning Carolina League All-Star honors. The 6-1, 185-pound Katy, Texas native was a 5th round draft selection by the Indians in 2016. He’s the son of former Major League pitcher Mike Capel.

Torres, 18, has appeared in 27 games for the Arizona Rookie League Indians this season, compiling a .273 batting mark with 4 HR’s and 16 RBI. The 6-4, 200-pound right-handed hitting Torres is a native of Sincelejo, Colombia.

Mercado, 23, was batting .285 with 8 HR’s and 42 RBI with 31 stolen bases for Memphis. He was the Cardinals 2nd round draft selection in 2013.