Thursday, August 25, 2011

The Misadventures of Nick Evans

Nick Evans might be one of the unluckiest players in baseball. Honestly, the kid cannot catch a break.

Evans isn't a young stud player with tons of potential and hype around him. He's a serviceable player who can field multiple positions and has some signs of power in his bat. He's an ok player or at least that's what we think because Evans can never seem to get the opportunity to prove if he's more than that.

Evans had an offensive explosion yesterday in Philadelphia and single-handedly led the Mets to a desperate victory. We've seen these glimpses of success before, but that's all they are. Glimpses. Nick has the misfortune of being stuck behind a true young stud in Ike Davis, and now the emergence of the gentle giant, Lucas Duda, has pushed Evans further down the depth chart.

Besides Davis & Duda, Daniel Murphy is also a guy who's pushed Evans further out of the minds of Mets management. If you'll remember it was Murphy & Evans who platooning in left field just a few seasons ago. Murphy ultimately stayed on the club while Evans has been gaining frequent flier miles on his trips to and from the minors.

Why do I like Nick Evans? Who knows. I think it's the whole underdog vibe I get from him. The Jason Bay contract is keeping him in the lineup, but would we get an improvement in production if Nick Evans was given the shot to play everyday? I guarantee you it couldn't get that much worse. Does Evans deserve more playing time than Scott Hairsston and Willie Harris? Probably, but those two veterans have experience on their side and force Evans to the bench.

I doubt Evans will ever become an every day player. At least on the Mets. Because we all know how the Mets have a fantastic track record of trading away young players who don't amount to anything....

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