Cincinnati Reds: Phillip Ervin’s monster spring still won’t be enough

Cincinnati Reds outfielder Phillip Ervin might be having the best spring of any player in camp, but it’s still unlikely to land him a spot on the roster.

Has any player in camp been hotter than Phillip Ervin? I didn’t think so. In almost any other year Ervin would be a shoe in for the 25-man roster. However, this season, the Cincinnati Reds outfield is overflowing with talent and Ervin looks like the odd-man out.

Phillip Ervin cracked his fifth home run of the spring yesterday during a Cactus League against the Texas Rangers. Ervin is slashing .344/.443/.864 in 32 at-bats. The former first-round pick has 11 hits and 8 RBIs. The only Reds player close to replicating those stats in Spring Training is Kyle Farmer who’s slashing .387/.412/1.250 with 2 homers and 7 RBIs.

Strangely enough, Farmer is unlikely to make the Opening Day roster either. Both Ervin and Farmer are deserving of making the team, but the roster is all but set and there are only so many spots. Even Connor Joe, a Rule 5 Draft pick, and Nick Senzel, the team’s top prospect, are not yet guaranteed spots on the roster.

With Yasiel Puig, Jesse Winker, Scott Schebler, and Matt Kemp all but locked in to a spot on the Opening Day roster, the only way another outfielder joins them is if the Reds decide to start the season with Senzel in center field.

The versatility of players like Joe, Farmer, and Derek Dietrich make them more likely to occupy a roster spot than Ervin. While he can play all three outfield positions, Ervin does not have the ability of Joe, Farmer, and Dietrich to play around the infield as well. Joe and Farmer are also able to play catcher in a pinch.

All that being said, there’s definitely a future on this team for Phillip Ervin, but it may not be until after the trade deadline. Kemp is in the final year of his contract and Puig just signed a one-year deal to avoid arbitration. If the Reds are out of contention in July or receive a good offer for either player, Cincinnati would be foolish not to move on.

Injuries are a part of the game as well. Schebler and Winker both missed significant time with shoulder injuries last season and Senzel only played 44 games at Triple-A Louisville in 2018 due to a bevy of injuries. Phillip Ervin would undoubtedly be the first outfielder called up should one of regulars land on the injured list.

Ervin still a minor league option remaining so it’s not terribly detrimental if the Cincinnati Reds send him back to Triple-A Louisville. Ervin did have some struggles defensively, especially hitting the cutoff man, and some time with the Bats could help him to hone his defensive skills.

It’s hard to envision a scenario that doesn’t involve Ervin beginning the season in the minor leagues, but stranger things have happened. David Bell has already spoken about carrying 13 pitchers all season, so all of the sudden the bench got even shorter.

Phillip Ervin has had a terrific spring for the Cincinnati Reds and he’s sure to be part of the team in some capacity this season; it’s just not on the Opening Day roster. On the flip side, having an abundance of talented outfielders is a great problem to have.