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Greek Giant

Non-Roster Invitees

WOW! Just writing “Spring Training” makes me feel good on this cold day with me battling one of the worst colds I have ever suffered. Yesterday the Giants announced their 2023 Spring Training Non-Roster Invitations:

Check out that list of pitchers! That’s quite a few and to be sure, many of them will not sniff the big leagues in 2023, if ever. But, they will see Cactus League action and that’s something to consider. You just never know. Ryan Vogelsong anyone?

I’m looking forward to seeing Jorge Guzman and Kyle Harrison pitch. Word on the street is that Harrison is Big-League ready and is likely to make the starting rotation come opening day. That’s exciting stuff.

Note Stephen Piscotty among the outfielders. How about Ronald Guzman?! He’s listed as a “Two-Way” player, meaning he pitches and plays the infield. That’s cool and I look forward to seeing him in action too. Do you know what kind of an athlete you have to be just to get invited to a Major League Spring Training and then be listed as both a pitcher and an infielder? One-Hell of an Athlete! That’s the kind of athlete. I remember trying to catch and then play first base in Little League! That was tough enough.

What Is a Non-Roster Invitee?

For those of you keeping score at home a non-roster invitee is a player invited to a Major League Spring Training camp that is no on the team’s 40-man roster. Here is the official MLB definition because there are qualifiers:

“A non-roster invite (NRI) is an invitation for a player who is not on a club’s 40-man roster to attend Major League camp in Spring Training and compete for a roster spot. Clubs can extend NRIs to their upper-level Minor Leaguers and also include NRIs in Minor League contracts given to free agents in the offseason.”

Pitchers and Catchers Report on Wednesday, February 15th!

That’s just eight days away, Giants fans!