Chicago Cubs reportedly sign minor league infielder Phillip Evans

According to The Athletic‘s Patrick Mooney, the Chicago Cubs signed minor league infielder Phillip Evans. The move is meant to add infield depth.

Although the move is rather small, the Chicago Cubs reportedly added infield depth to the organization in the form of a solid Triple-A player, signing infielder Phillip Evans to a minor league deal, according to Patrick Mooney of The Athletic. Outside of brief MLB stints with the New York Mets in 2017 and 2018, Evans is a career minor leaguer.

Career minor leaguer

The Mets drafted Evans, 26, in the 15th round of the 2011 MLB Draft. Evans, a career .260 minor league hitter, made his Triple-A debut with the Las Vegas 51s in 2017. He also spent part of 2018 with that same club.

In 189 total Triple-A games, Evans holds a .272 batting average and a respectable .336 on-base percentage. However, his .442 slugging percentage and 25 home runs show he is unlikely to hit for much power.

Evans finally made his MLB debut with the Mets in 2017, hitting .303 in 19 games (33 at-bats). Despite striking out eight times and walking just four times, he posted a .395 on-base percentage.

After making their 2018 Opening Day roster, the Mets optioned Evans to Triple-A shortly after the season started. He hit .143 in 15 games (21 at-bats) in 2018, getting recalled on three different occasions.

Evans’ fit with the 2019 Cubs

So where does Evans fit in the context of the 2019 Cubs? With Addison Russell serving a 40-game suspension to start the season, Evans provides the Cubs with depth in case an injury occurs on their MLB roster.

Across eight MiLB seasons, Evans has played every infield position as well as left field. He even caught one inning with Las Vegas in 2018, though one should not expect him to see much time behind the plate in 2019.

Evans has played shortstop in 321 minor league games, 168 at third base and 146 at second base. In 34 career MLB games, he has played first, second and third base in addition to left field.

Ultimately, Evans is versatile, which fits in perfectly with the Cubs’ roster and Joe Maddon‘s managing style. The team recently signed infielder Daniel Descalso, though they acquired and later non-tendered versatile infielder Ronald Torreyes.

Evans won’t make the Cubs’ Opening Day roster. Heck, he might not make an appearance with the team at all in 2019. But if the time comes where the Chicago Cubs need infield help for a few games, having Evans in Triple-A will be big.