A Brief Look at The 29 Spring Training Non-Roster Invitees
Credit to MLB Trade Rumors
Infielders
It certainly hasn’t been easy for the former World Series winner. Allen spent the entirety of 2018 in El Paso despite hitting .293/.375/.479 with 13 home runs. He is currently blocked at all sides by Eric Hosmer and Wil Myers, so it is most likely back to El Paso after the spring. Likely Destination: Triple-A
Mejias-Brean spent all of 2018 with the Mariners’ Double-A and Triple-A facilities, batting a collective .268/.348/.389 with 10 home runs. A third baseman by trade, the 27-year-old will get a chance to slug it out for the starting job in spring training, but with other options ahead of him, Mejias-Brean is likely joining Craig in El Paso. Likely Destination: Triple-A
After mashing at Lake Elsinore, Potts was called up to San Antonio to see what he could do. Potts struggled at Double-A, but the former first-round pick has made adjustments before and has developed nicely in the Padres’ farm systems. He ha always had a knack for hitting home runs, as he bombed 20 and 19 in the last two years, and he can only benefit from Major League coaching. Likely Destination: Double-A
Despite not spending a day above Double-A, Quiroz is rumored to be a front-runner for the starting job at third base. He has spent considerable time in the Mexican League and impressed with the Boston Red Sox, so he will have to square off with Ty France for the starting gig….unless the Padres sign some free agent named Manny Machado, in which case Quiroz and France will be going down to the minors. If Machado doesn’t sign, he may lose out to France. Likely Destination: Double-A or Triple-A
Unless you have been living under a rock, you know who this man is. A truly special talent that, after thumb surgery, led the Estrellas Orientales to a Dominican League championship while setting Padres Twitter ablaze with his highlight-reel plays. He will dazzle at spring training, but will be sent down in order to gain another year of control in arbitration a la Kris Bryant. There is no doubt that he will be making his major league debut in 2019, however. Likely Destination: Triple-A, Call Up in April/May
It is a fortunate surprise that Vosler is still a Padre, as many expected him to be taken in the Rule 5 draft. Alas, he is still a Padre and has a healthy chance of snagging the third base job in spring training after blasting 23 home runs between two levels with the Chicago Cubs’ minor league system. He has a good bat, but it may have to spend more time in the minors. Likely Destination: Triple-A, September Call-Up
Catchers
Rivas has bounced around different minor league squads for eight years, but he has earned his second invite to spring training with the Padres after hitting .276/.319/.373 with San Antonio in 2018. Rivas is a good hitting catcher and has done a good job of throwing out potential runners, but with Austin Hedges and Francisco Mejia already ahead of him, the chances of him breaking camp with San Diego are slim to none. Likely Destination: Double-A
Over a long, 12-year career, Stewart is known more for his time with the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Yankees, but he actually had a two-game cameo with San Diego in 2010. He caught a whopping one inning while making another one-inning appearance at first base. He’ll try and change that in 2019, but with so many other options in front of him and his current age, it is most likely that he is here to help catch the abundance of pitchers during spring training before packing his bags for El Paso. Likely Destination: Triple-A or released
Outfielders
It is good to see Dickerson back in action after all of the injury troubles he has been through. After missing all of 2017 recovering from surgery for bulging disks in his back, Dickerson missed all of 2018 rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, and this is his first time that he will be playing baseball injury-free. His approach at the plate seemed to get better and better in 2016, but other players have passed by Dickerson as he missed time with injuries. Likely Destination: Triple-A, September Call-Up
What to do with Josh Naylor. The number 15 prospect for San Diego, he is blocked at his natural first base position by Hosmer and blocked in the outfield by a slew of corner outfielders. His .297/.383/.447 and 17 home runs he mashed at San Antonio would serve great as a designated hitter, but because the National League doesn’t have a DH spot, Naylor is stuck waiting for an opportunity. He’ll show the coaches what he’s got, but as long as Hosmer and Myers are making the big bucks, Naylor isn’t getting a ticket to The Show for a while. Likely Destination: Triple-A, September Call-Up
Not to be confused with Boog Powell, who played 14 years for the Baltimore Orioles, Cleveland Indians, and Los Angeles Dodgers from 1961 to 1977. This Boog Powell is a light-hitting outfielder who has spent time with the Oakland A’s and Mariners, who struggled in the Majors, but is a .276/.358/.371 hitter through parts of four Triple-A seasons. With a plethora of outfielders, Powell is nothing more than depth. Likely Destination: Triple-A
What version of Buddy Reed will we see in spring training? Will it be the Reed who clobbered Lake Elsinore pitching en route to an appearance in the Futures game? Or will it be the Reed who looked overmatched at San Antonio? Either way, Reed will show off the athleticism and skill that he flashed so often at Lake Elsinore and absorb information from the Major League coaches before making his way back to the minors. Likely Destination: Double-A
A former draft pick for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Scavuzzo just recently turned 25 and was seen as a top minor league free agent. Scavuzzo is fresh off a career season at the plate, having hit .258/.310/.523 with 26 doubles and 26 home runs over 429 plate appearances, but even with the invite to Major League camp, it is likely he starts the year off in the minors. Likely Destination: Double-A or Triple-A
I am currently attending San Diego State University while working on achieving a major in journalism. At SDSU, I write for The Daily Aztec while also hosting the sports radio show “Picked Off”, for KCR Radio. A loyal fan of San Diego sports, I hope to bring content that you will enjoy reading.