James Anderson Merchant (born August 30, 1950) is an American former professional baseball catcher. Drafted in the tenth round by the Boston Red Sox in 1972, he played in a total of three major-league games for them in 1975 and 1976, collecting two hits and scoring one run. He batted left-handed, threw right-handed, and was listed as 5 feet 11 inches (1.80 m) tall and 185 pounds (84 kg). Merchant's minor-league career ended in 1979. He currently resides in Malcolm, Alabama.