A Look at the Reds’ Spring Training Non-Roster Invitees

Spring Training non-roster invitees are usually comprised of a team’s top prospects and journeyman players looking to get a chance at a final spot on the 40-man, or even the 25-man roster. This year, the Reds invited 23 non-roster players to Arizona. Half of those players are minor-league prospects, many of whom will be in the major leagues in the coming years. We know these players will start in the minors, but a major league Spring Training invite gives them experience and an opportunity to learn from big leaguers. The other players are the ones who will play the most in spring training games because they are the ones who are fighting for a roster spot.

Let’s take a look at who the Reds invited to Goodyear:

Outfielders: Jesse Winker, Ryan LaMarre, Felix Perez, Brennan Boesch

Winker, LaMarre and Perez will be in the minor leagues to start the season. Winker is the next top Reds outfield prospect, and likely expects to start the season in Louisville. LaMarre is still waiting for that first call-up to the big leagues and will likely also start the season in Louisville. Perez has been in the Reds farm system for five years and with Louisville for the last three.

Boesch will have the chance to compete for a final roster spot. He’s a five-year veteran and spent 2014 with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, hitting .187 in 79 plate appearances.

Infielders: Ivan De Jesus, Chris Dominguez, Josh Satin, Irving Falu, Neftali Soto

Soto will again get to try to prove to the Reds staff that he can be a consistent hitter, but don’t expect him to start the season with the major league club. He’ll more than likely be in Louisville in April.

De Jesus, Satin, and Falu all have major league experience, and all three will compete for a bench position with the Reds. Dominguez, a University of Louisville product, played in eight games for the world champion Giants last year and batted .059 with one home run. He also will get a chance at the big league club, but it’s more likely that he will play in Louisville to start the season.

Catchers: Ramon Cabrera, Kyle Skipworth, Chad Wallach

Wallach was one of the players the Reds got in the Mat Latos trade and no doubt will start the season in either Bakersfield or Pensacola. Cabrera has 650 career minor league appearances and Skipworth has been in the Marlins system since 2008, but has four major league appearances in 2013. Both will likely be at Pensacola or Louisville in 2015 if they remain in the organization.

Pitchers: Kevin Gregg, Jason Marquis, Jose Mijares, Nathan Adcock, Jonathan Crawford, Ismael Guillon, Nick Howard, Michael Lorenzen, Robert Stephenson, Nick Travieso, Jon Moscot

Stephenson is the crown jewel in the Reds farm system right now. He’ll start the season in either Pensacola or Louisville. Lorenzen, Howard, Travieso, Moscot and Guillon were all drafted by the Reds and all will be in the minors. Crawford came to the Reds organization in the Alfredo Simon trade and played at single-A in the Tigers farm system last year. I would guess that he starts at Pensacola in 2015.

Adcock pitched in seven games for the injury-plagued Texas Rangers last year and had a 4.50 ERA . If he manages to stay in the Reds organization, he will probably end up at Louisville to help with the pitching depth.

Mijares has a career 3.23 ERA over six years. He pitched for the Giants in 2012 and 2013. He will be competing to earn one of the final roster spots in the bullpen.

Gregg is the resident veteran of the group, having played for six teams over the course of twelve years. He struggled last season in Miami before having surgery to remove bone chips in his elbow, but had a decent 2013 season with the Cubs, posting a 3.48 ERA in 62 games. He will compete with Mijares for a bullpen spot, but Gregg does have a minor-league deal in place, so if he misses out, he will most likely go to Louisville.

Marquis also signed a minor-league deal, but will compete for that fifth spot in the rotation. He’s a 14-year veteran who most notably played for Atlanta and St. Louis in the early to mid-2000s. He’s coming off Tommy John surgery, but did pitch in the Phillies minor league system last year. Marquis is a low risk, high reward player who will provide pitching depth in Louisville if he’s not with the Reds.