Some names at last.
Pitchers and catchers report to Scottsdale on Wednesday, and on Friday the San Francisco Giants released their list of non-roster invitees, telling us who will be at Spring Training this year.
The Giants have 20 non-roster invitees this year and, not surprisingly, top prospect Bryce Eldridge is one of them. Here’s the full list:
Left-handed pitchers (8)
Raymond Burgos
Miguel Del Pozo
Antonio Jimenez
Joey Lucchesi
Helcris Olivarez
Enny Romero
Ethan Small
Carson Whisenhunt
Right-handed pitchers (6)
Miguel Diaz
Justin Garza
Juan Mercedes
Joel Peguero
Kai-Wei Teng
Cole Waites
Catchers (2)
Logan Porter
Max Stassi
Infielders (4)
Sergio Alcantara
Bryce Eldridge
Christian Koss
Jake Lamb
A few things stand out. There is a lack of high-end prospects, with Eldridge and Whisenhunt the only notable prospects getting the invite (though this is mostly explained by the bulk of the team’s best prospects either being in the low levels of the Minors, or on the 40-man roster).
There’s also an entire absence of outfielders, which is interesting. The Giants certainly have no shortage of outfielders on the 40-man roster, but they are lacking in known entities. No non-roster outfielders in camp suggests the Giants are fine with a camp battle between Luis Matos, Wade Meckler, Grant McCray, Marco Luciano, and Jerar Encarnación for the backup spots behind Jung Hoo Lee, Heliot Ramos, and Mike Yastrzemski.
It’s also great to see Waites back in the mix. He was electric in his 2022 MLB debut, but was shut down in 2023 and underwent Tommy John surgery. He hasn’t pitched in a game since, but could be a big factor in the Giants bullpen this year.
The list will likely expand in the coming days, as the Giants add a few more players. Heck, they reportedly signed Lou Trivino and gave him an invite to camp yesterday, but apparently that isn’t official yet, because Trivino wasn’t listed in the announcement. And it is worth remembering that players in Minor League camp can still play in Spring Training games, so if there was a prospect you’re hoping to see, you still might.