The Interesting Case That Is Nick Evans

Last year, Nick Evans was an unbelievable story.

He burst onto the scene against Colorado with a three-double game, and many people thought the Mets had found the diamond in the rough in their farm system.

But as the case usually is with this team and their “over-hyped” prospects, Evans hit a wall.

After failing to make the team out of spring training, Evans spiraled out of control, and he couldn’t hit his way out of a paper bag. It got so bad that he was sent down to extended spring training to try to get his game back.

During this time, people like Delgado and Reyes were dropping like flies, and because Evans was free falling, Daniel Murphy was given the shot at first base. Fernando Tatis saw some at-bats that he clearly hasn’t deserved, and the Mets have made due, so to speak.

The guy who was a spark during his first couple of games with the Mets seemed to be yesterday’s news.

Last year, his overall line was rather ordinary, as he hit .257 with two homers in only 109 at-bats. In almost half of that kind of exposure this year, Evans had hit at a .250 clip, but he has struck out more than 25 percent of the time.

While those numbers may be good compared to an Argenis Reyes, Evans needs to step it up.

The big club was seriously giving him a chance to stay, but now he finds himself back in Buffalo where he is going to need to give the big club a reason to call him up. For the Mets’ sake, he seems like your typical Four-A player.

He is better than the guys in the minors, but he can’t hold his own in the majors.

There are a couple of things the Mets can do with this. Option A would consist of leaving him down in the minors for the year, considering how he is only 23-years-old. Maybe he needs more seasoning. That is certainly a distinct possibility.

Option B would be to let him ride out his struggles with the big club, but the Mets can ill-afford to wait for him and his bat to get hot. It’s not like he plays an exceptional first base. Daniel Murphy’s bat alone convinces me that I would rather watch him play everyday than platoon with Evans.

I think Option C would be the smart option for the Mets, and that is to trade Evans. I would allow him to build up some value in the minors, and then deal him. Whether he is part of a package, he could be enticing to other teams if the Mets want to add one more piece to make a run.

Of course they need to get healthy first.

Evans has a lot to prove to Mets’ fans to make us believe that he is a keeper, and pardon me if I am not convinced just yet.