Phillip Ervin

When the Reds traded Yasiel Puig at last year's deadline, Ervin seemed the most likely candidate for increased playing time. Instead it was Aristides Aquino who took over in right field while Ervin continued to play sporadically until Jesse Winker's injury finally opened up regular at-bats. Ervin did not do much with the opportunity, slashing .220/.283/.402 in September. His platoon splits for the season were dramatic; Ervin had an OPS north of 1.000 against left-handed pitching but a .227/.285/.373 line in 165 PA against right-handers. At this point, it seems like Ervin is destined to remain a reserve/platoon outfielder, and the acquisitions of Shogo Akiyama and Travis Jankowski speak to how the Reds view Ervin in center. He's out of minor-league options, so Ervin should be on the team, but the 27-year-old will need an injury or two ahead of him on the depth chart to become mixed-league relevant.

Ervin got a significant run of playing time in the second half of 2018, after injuries to Scott Schebler and Jesse Winker and then the trade of Adam Duvall paved the way for him. The results were mixed -- he walked a little more and maintained a similar batting average to his shorter 2017 trial, but his power started to dissipate the more opposing pitchers saw him. Ervin ended up hitting just .192/.263/.342 in September. Billy Hamilton was non-tendered and initially it looked like Ervin would get another shot to begin 2019, but the Reds' subsequent trade with the Dodgers, in which they acquired Yasiel Puig and Matt Kemp, puts Ervin's roster status in question. If he does head north with the club, it will likely be as the fifth outfielder.

Ervin turns 26 in July and has just 64 MLB plate appearances under his belt, so he's not really a prospect anymore, even though he technically still qualifies as one. On the surface, it seems like he would be a pretty solid option on the short side of an outfield platoon, as he is right-handed and hit .412 against southpaws in a tiny sample in the majors last season. However, his results against lefties in the minors are mixed, and all three of his MLB home runs came against same-handed pitching. He is still an above-average runner, stealing 27 bases on 34 attempts last season, but his outfield defense isn't necessarily an asset, so his bat will have to justify his placement in the lineup. The Reds have a clear long-term outfielder in Jesse Winker, with Billy Hamilton, Scott Schebler and Adam Duvall still lingering as players who are too good to be discarded, but not without flaws. Barring a trade, Ervin would need to make the roster as a fifth outfielder.

Ervin is a toolsy outfielder who has not quite lived up to his potential since being drafted in the first round of the 2013 draft, largely due to his inability to hit for average. Ervin has not hit above .245 at any level since the beginning of the 2014 campaign. However, he's swiped over 30 bases in each of the last three seasons while hitting double-digit home runs in each of the last two years. In addition, Ervin has shown the ability to take a walk, including posting a .362 on-base percentage at Double-A in 2016 despite the low batting average. Ervin is certainly not the prototypical corner outfielder, though his home run totals will certainly be aided by playing in the hitter-friendly confines of the Great American Ball Park. Ervin should begin the 2017 campaign at Triple-A, though it remains to be seen if the 24-year-old will ever make consistent enough contact to become a reliable everyday player.

Ervin, the Reds' first-round pick in 2013, has spent two disappointing seasons with High-A Daytona, only briefly emerging towards the end of 2015 to play a little at Double-A Pensacola. The Florida State League is a tough track for hitters, but Ervin slugged under .400 there. On the bright side, his walk rate was above 11 percent and he stole 30 bases in 109 games. The wrist injury that hampered his 2014 season is fully healed now, and some hope that he could end up as a center fielder and tablesetter remains, but that walk rate will collapse against upper-level pitching if it is not backed up by some semblance of being able to hit the ball with authority.

Ervin came flying out of the gate after being taken in the first round of the 2013 draft by the Reds, but took a big step back at Low-A Dayton last season. While he made the same amount of contact, his walk rate plummeted as did his average. Granted, his numbers in rookie ball and his first exposure to Low-A were fueled by a very high BABIP, so some regression was already expected. Offseason wrist surgery prior to the 2014 season appeared to leak into his regular season performance, so he gets a pass for one bad season -- in keeper leagues with deep farm systems, you might be able to buy him at a discount. He still projects to give you plus speed, if not much power.

Ervin, the Reds' first-round pick in the 2013 draft out of Samford University, got off to a flying start in his professional career, hitting .331/.425/.564 combined between Rookie-level and Low-A ball and going 14-of-15 on the basepaths to boot. As a college draftee, Ervin was expected to advance quickly through the lower levels of the minors, so 2014 will bring on a greater test, with him possibly hitting High-A pretty early in the season. He might struggle initially if the wrist injury that ended his season persists in the spring.