The Pittsburgh Pirates have released their list of non-roster invitees to Spring Training. There are some notable names on the list.
In one of the annual rites of passage for the winter off-season, the Pittsburgh Pirates have announced their list of non-roster invitees to their 2017 Spring Training sessions. The list has some notable names among them.
The full list:
RHP Brandon Cumpton
LHP Cody Dickson
RHP Frank Duncan
RHP Tyler Eppler
LHP Jared Lakind
RHP Casey Sadler
RHP Angel Sanchez
RHP Edgar Santana
C Jin De Jhang
C Christian Kelley
C Jacob Stallings
C Jackson Williams
INF Kevin Newman
INF/OF Jason Rogers
INF Erich Weiss
INF Eric Wood
OF Barrett Barnes
OF Austin Meadows
OF Danny Ortiz
Who Has the Most to Gain?
The eyes are immediately drawn to Meadows, but his inclusion should not be taken as an indicator of a potential change in ETA. Nonetheless, this is Meadows’ first spring training invite and it will be interesting to see how he performs in camp and Grapefruit League play.
If we look at some of the other names on this list, a few of them can take some worthwhile strides, either to help the club determine initial minor league assignments or to solidify positions.
Brandon Cumpton will look to complete his comeback from numerous elbow maladies, including Tommy John surgery and a second elbow surgery in late September of 2015. If he can show the club that he can still be effective, he may be on his way towards reclaiming his position as Triple-A rotation depth.
Frank Duncan has been talked about in many circles as a hidden gem at Indianapolis. A solid showing in the spring can put him on the doorstep of the major leagues. A better than solid showing could have him join the bullpen when the team heads north.
Jacob Stallings showed that he can be seen as a solid catching depth option in case of injury, and a good spring session can help him retain that esteem.
Kevin Newman spent the majority of his time at Double-A Altoona last season, and a strong spring training could tempt the Pittsburgh Pirates into starting him at Triple-A. That is, of course, if he is not included in a trade package for Jose Quintana.
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