It seems like a convenient time to write this article given Nick Evans’ heroic deeds last night, but I’ve actually been an Evans supporter for quite some time now. The only problem was that as recent as a few months ago, it didn’t seem like the Mets had any interest in keeping Nick Evans past 2011. He’s been waived more than once this season, and each time he returned to the Mets only because no other team decided to claim him.
This season isn’t even the first time Evans has been bounced up and down by the Mets between the minors and majors. Evans had 119 major league plate appearances in 2008, 69 in 2009 and 37 in 2010. Although the young utility man didn’t exactly impress in his big league stints, it’s not as though he had much of a chance to. Together from 2008 to 2010, Evans had less than a half season’s worth of plate appearances in the majors, which is something I was sure to point out when he drew criticism earlier this season.
My faith in Evans was based on his minor league statistics as well as the fact that he is a right-handed bat playing the same position as the left-handed Ike Davis. Not only that, but Evans increases his usefulness by being able to play third and corner outfield on the side.
Now with another lefty Lucas Duda looking to lock down a starting job for 2012, Evans’ shot at a bench job has gotten better. Neither Duda nor Davis have proven to be able to hit left-handed pitching consistently, and Evans just so happens to be able to play both first base and right field as a righty bat. Plus, he’ll be cheaper to keep around than the other right-handed utility bat Scott Hairston.
Although it’s true that Hairston can play more positions than Evans (he’s been seen at second base and in center field this season), the cost difference and most importantly, the difference in upside between Evans and Hairston should be enough to give Evans the advantage.
Nick Evans might turn out to be a handy bench bat and nothing more, but thanks to an uptick in playing time in 2011, we now know that he’ll be at least that and maybe more. He’s still got barely a season worth of big league plate appearances under his belt, so as long as he holds his own on the bench, Evans is worth keeping around to see if he can become something more. Watch out Jason Bay.
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