Mercado says goodbye to Bolts on Twitter

Sol Mercado is coming off a banner outing in the Philippine Cup but that didn’t prevent him from being dealt by Meralco, exactly a week before the start of the Commissioners Cup.

Drafted as the fifth pick overall in the 2008 Draft, the 6-foot-1 Mercado seemed to have found his true home with the Bolts, turning into one of the league’s dangerous force with his quickness and size at the guard position.

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Confidently taking the cudgels from offensive-minded guard Mac Cardona, Mercado, 28, posted league-best averages of 19.1 points and 6.7 assists in 16 outings in the all-Filipino tournament.

But the burly Biola University standout finds himself suiting up for his third team in the pro league with GlobalPort, which pulled off a blockbuster three-team deal with Talk ‘N Text and Meralco Thursday afternoon.

The mega-deal, which also landed the Batang Pier high-leaping Japeth Aguilar, also marks a reunion of sorts for owner Mikee Romero and Mercado, who played under the colors of Harbour Centre in the defunct Philippine Basketball League.

Trying to ease the pain of leaving his Bolts family, Mercado, via his official account @M3rcMyWords, took to Twitter to air his sentiments.

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Mercado, who was traded by Rain or Shine to Meralco prior to the start of the PBA Commissioner's Cup last season, also expressed his gratitude to the Bolts.
 

 
Chris Ross (‏@cmross6), one of Mercado’s closest buddies, also gave a heart-warming message to Mercado.
 

 
Now with the Batang Pier, Mercado, 28, is expected to share backcourt duties with former two-time MVP Willie Miller and is tipped to provide firepower to support scoring dynamo Gary David.
 

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