Phillip

Ervin

Ervin appeared in 237 games with the Reds and Mariners from 2017 to 2019, hitting .247/.322/.406 with 17 round-trippers and 15 steals across 660 plate appearances at the major-league level. The 29-year-old outfielder hit .192/.301/.332 with eight homers and 11 stolen bases across 266 plate appearances last year at Triple-A Gwinnett in the Braves’ system.

Ervin managed to pass through waivers unclaimed after being designated for assignment last week and will remain with the Braves organization. He’s bounced around between the four different teams over the last year, but appears to be sticking around for a bit with Atlanta. He’ll open the year as extra outfield depth Triple-A Gwinnett.

Ervin has ping-ponged between the Reds, Mariners, Cubs and Braves organizations over the last calendar year. There’s a strong possibility that he’ll be claimed off waivers in the coming days.

Ervin was designated for assignment after the Cubs added Jake Marisnick. The 28-year-old batted just .149/.292/.189 over 89 plate appearances in 2020, but he could be a candidate to stick as an extra outfielder.

The Cubs needed to clear a spot on the 40-man roster for the addition of defensive-oriented outfielder Jake Marisnick. Ervin was claimed off waivers from the Mariners back in December and will be back on the wire for the third time this offseason. The 28-year-old outfielder shouldn’t have any issues latching on as a bench option with a big-league squad this spring.

Ervin was claimed off waivers from the Reds in September before being designated for assignment earlier this month. The 28-year-old batted .149/.292/.189 over 89 plate appearances in 2020 and profiles as a potential extra outfielder.

The move clears a roster spot for reliever Keynan Middleton, who was signed to a one-year major league deal on Wednesday. Ervin, 28, batted just .149/.292/.189 over 89 plate appearances in 2020.

Ervin was designated for assignment by the Reds in late August after going 3-for-35 to open the 2020 season. The 28-year-old outfielder holds a career .250/.320/.415 batting line in 219 games at the MLB level.

Ervin is off to a dreadful 3-for-35 start this season, but he’s been a useful platoon bat in the past, including last year when he posted a 1.038 OPS against lefties. There will be interest in him on waivers, particularly since he’s under team control through 2024.

The left-handed hitting Shogo Akiyama and Jesse Winker are on the bench, as Ervin will patrol left field and Matt Davidson will be in the designated hitter spot versus southpaw Matthew Boyd. Ervin crushed left-handed pitching to the tune of a 1.038 OPS last season.