Ervin, the 27th overall pick seven years ago, debuted with the Reds in 2017 and appeared in 219 games in four seasons. He hit .250 overall and was batting .086 this season.
Ervin was out of minor-league options, meaning he couldn’t be sent down or in this case to the alternate training site at Prasco Park without being subjected to waivers. That’s how the Mariners got a chance to pick him up.
With Ervin moving on, it’s a good time to look at the Reds’ recent top picks. Of the past 10, one of them is on the current Reds roster, and one is on the injured list. Two are at Prasco Park in Mason. Three, including Ervin, are no longer in the organization.
2020: The Reds drafted high school outfielder Austin Hendrick in June with the 12th overall pick. With the minor-league season cancelled because of the coronavirus pandemic, he’ll have to wait until 2021 to make his pro debut.
2019: Left-handed pitcher Nick Lodolo was the seventh overall pick. He had a 2.45 ERA in eight appearances in his first season in pro baseball and is part of the group training at Prasco Park.
2018: Third baseman Jonathan India, the No. 5 pick, is also part of the player pool in Mason. His batting average stands at .259 after two seasons in the minors.
2017: Right-handed pitcher Hunter Greene, the No. 2 pick, is 3-8 with a 4.95 ERA in two seasons. He hasn’t pitched in a game since 2018 after undergoing Tommy John surgery but progressed well enough in his rehab to join the player pool in Mason.
Credit: David Jablonski
Credit: David Jablonski
2016: Outfielder Nick Senzel, the No. 2 pick, started a rehab assignment in Mason on Tuesday. He has been on the injured list since Aug. 19. He made his big-league debut in 2019 and has hit .255 in two seasons.
2015: Catcher Tyler Stephenson, the No. 11 pick, made his big-league debut July 27 and homered in his first game but then was optioned back to the alternate site. In five minor-league seasons, he’s a .263 hitter.
2014: The Reds released right-handed pitcher Nick Howard, the No. 19 pick, in June 2019. He was 8-9 with a 5.55 ERA in five minor-league seasons. He then signed a minor-league deal with the Kansas City Royals but became a free agent after the season. According to Baseball America, he signed with the Royals again in March.
2013: Ervin could make his Mariners debut this weekend. They start a three-game series at home against the Rangers on Friday.
2012: The Reds released right-handed pitcher Nick Travieso, the No. 14 pick, in June 2019. He was 32-25 with a 3.57 ERA in six seasons in the minors. He missed the 2017 and 2018 seasons because of a shoulder injury. According to his Twitter page, he signed to play with Cangrejeros de Santurce in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on Aug. 1.
2011: Right-handed reliever Robert Stephenson, the 27th overall pick, has a 14.54 ERA in five appearances with the Reds this season. He has a 5.12 ERA in 99 appearances over the last five seasons.
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