The Diamondbacks are in agreement with utility-man Phillip Evans on a minor league deal, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post. The deal comes with an invite to big league spring training.
Evans, 30, didn’t make it to the big leagues last season, playing out the entire year at the Yankees’ Triple-A affiliate. He slashed .244/.310/.366 with nine home runs and 17 doubles in 400 plate appearances. Defensively, he spent the bulk of his time at third-base and right-field, but also logged some innings at first, second and in left.
Originally drafted by the Mets in the 15th round of the 2011 draft, Evans slowly worked his way up through their minor league system, earning a big league debut in 2017. Over the next two seasons Evans would see brief time in the majors, slashing .241/.328/.278 without a home run in 61 plate appearances before the Mets released him at the end of the 2018 season.
He latched on with the Cubs the following year, but wouldn’t see the big leagues again until the Pirates called him up in 2020. A .359/.444/.487 line in 45 plate appearances that season for the rebuilding Bucs was enough to earn him a bit more playing time in 2021. Across 247 plate appearances, Evans would hit .206/.312/.299 with five home runs before Pittsburgh released him at the end of the year.
Evans could compete for a spot as a utility player on the Diamondbacks’ bench in the spring, or start the year at Triple-A and provide depth in the event of any injuries.
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