Nick Evans

NICK EVANS
CORNER OUTFIELDER
Born: January 30, 1986
Height: 6’2″
Weight: 220
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
Drafted: 5th Round, 134th Overall, 2004 (Mets)
How Acquired: Minor League Free Agent
High School: St. Mary’s, Phoenix, AZ
Agent: N/A

WTM’S PIRATE PLAYER PROFILES

A third baseman at the time he was drafted, Evans has always been regarded as having impressive raw power, but little else.  His K and walk rates have fluctuated a lot, but he’s always at least shown at least decent power.  He’s played mostly first and left as a pro, but in the last couple years he’s played a little at third as he’s become a corner bench bat.  He’s fair at best defensively, even at first, and doesn’t have good speed.  He’s had a huge platoon split in the majors, posting an .849 OPS against LHPs and .595 against RHPs, although the sample size is small.  He’s also had some large platoon splits in the minors.  The Pirates signed him to a minor league deal for 2012.

2004
R:  258/311/462, 182 AB, 10 2B, 3 3B, 7 HR, 14 BB, 51 K, 3-5 SB

Showed good power, although not good plate discipline, in rookie ball.  He played 21 games at third, but served as a DH most of the time.

2005
R+:  344/382/734, 64 AB, 7 2B, 6 HR, 4 BB, 17 K, 1-1 SB
A-:  252/302/407, 226 AB, 11 2B, 3 3B, 6 HR, 17 BB, 34 K, 0-1 SB 

The Mets started Evans off in advanced rookie ball, but moved him up to the NYPL after a hot start.  He didn’t hit as well there, but showed decent power and cut down a lot on the whiffs.  He played first exclusively.

2006
A:  254/320/419, 511 AB, 33 2B, 3 3B, 15 HR, 45 BB, 99 K, 2-2 SB

Fox spent the season in low A, where he hit about like the previous year:  decent but not great power, low average and marginal K and walk rates.  He again played first exclusively and had trouble with errors, committing 15.

2007
A+:  286/374/476, 378 AB, 25 2B, 1 3B, 15 HR, 53 BB, 64 K, 3-3 SB

Still playing first, Evans hit better in high A, with much-improved walk and K rates.

2008
AA:  311/365/561, 296 AB, 18 2B, 7 3B, 14 HR, 26 BB, 64 K, 2-3 SB
MLB:  257/303/404, 109 AB, 10 2B, 0 3B, 2 HR, 7 BB, 24 K, 0-0 SB

Evans hit very well in AA, except for a fall-off in his plate-discipline.  The Mets called him up in late June, sent him back down in early July, and brought him up for good in late July.  He hit very well in the majors, considering his experience level.  In AA he played mostly first, with some games in left and a few at third.  In the majors he played only in left except for a few innings at first.  The Mets used him most of the time only against LHPs.

2009
AA:  276/350/467, 105 AB, 9 2B, 1 3B, 3 HR, 10 BB, 22 K, 2-2 SB
AAA:  211/280/414, 237 AB, 12 2B, 3 3B, 10 HR, 23 BB, 55 K
MLB:  231/275/385, 65 AB, 5 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 4 BB, 20 K

Evans opened the season in AAA, but the Mets eventually sent him down to AA when he struggled.  He still hit for good power, but didn’t get on base much.  He played in the majors briefly.  At all levels, Evans divided his time between first and left.

2010
AA:  294/366/527, 237 AB, 30 2B, 17 HR, 40 BB, 65 K, 0-1 SB
AAA:  314/385/557, 140 AB, 14 2B, 1 3B, 6 HR, 15 BB, 23 K
MLB:  306/324/472, 36 AB, 3 2B, 1 HR, 1 BB, 10 K

The Mets sent Evans back to AA and he hit very well, both there and in AAA.  Except for two games in July, though, he appeared in the majors only as a September callup.  He played mainly first in the minors, but did play 16 games at third.

2011
AAA:  313/375/462, 249 AB, 13 2B, 8 HR, 26 BB, 50 K, 3-3 SB
MLB:  256/314/403, 176 AB, 10 2B, 2 3B, 4 HR, 15 BB, 48 K, 0-1 SB

Evans split his season between AAA and the majors.  He hit respectably for the Mets, but with a very high K rate.  In the majors he played mostly first, in the minors first and left.

2012
R:  167/167/167, 6 AB, 1 K
AAA:  197/263/324, 71 AB, 3 2B, 2 HR, 7 BB, 14 K 

Evans figured to have a good shot at a backup position, but he had a dismal spring and was sent to AAA.  The Pirates’ acquisition of Casey McGehee didn’t help, either, since it somewhat nullified Evans’ advantages as a possible lefty-masher.  Evans also got off to a slow start in AAA, then suffered a broken hand.  He didn’t return until the beginning of August, when he did a two-game rehab in the GCL before going back out for the rest of the season.

Evans will be a free agent again.  With the Pirates having added Gaby Sanchez, they’re not likely to present an opportunity for Evans, so he’s likely to go elsewhere.

STATS
Baseball Reference–Majors
Baseball Reference–Minors
Fangraphs
MLB.com
MiLB.com
CONTRACT INFORMATION
2009: $403,000
2012: Minor league contract
PLAYER INFORMATION
Signing Bonus: N/A
MiLB Debut: 2004
MLB Debut: 5/24/2008
MiLB FA Eligible: 2012
MLB FA Eligible: 2017
Rule 5 Eligible: Eligible
Added to 40-Man: May 24, 2008
Options Remaining: 0 (USED: 2008, 2009, 2010)
MLB Service Time: 1.128
TRANSACTIONS
June 7, 2004: Drafted by the New York Mets in the 5th round, 134th overall pick; signed on June 16.
May 24, 2008: Contract purchased by the New York Mets.
March 30, 2011: Outrighted to AAA by the New York Mets.
May 18, 2011: Recalled by the New York Mets.
November 11, 2011: Outrighted to AAA by the New York Mets; declared free agency on November 16.
November 29, 2011: Signed as a minor league free agent with the Pittsburgh Pirates.