San Francisco Giants Announce Non-Roster Invitees

With pitchers and catchers reporting in just over two weeks, the San Francisco Giants announced their list of non-roster invitees.

Giants announced their list of non-roster invitees for spring training: pic.twitter.com/7eIUZLcnXF
— Alex Pavlovic (@PavlovicNBCS) February 2, 2015

The group includes eight players with previous major league experience, and five of the Giants’ top ten prospects, as rated by Baseball America. There will be 12 pitchers, three catchers, five infielders, and two outfielders joining the Giants at camp.

Among the invitees who have previously played with the Giants are Brett Bochy, Juan Gutierrez, Guillermo Quiroz and Brandon Hicks. Bochy played in three games last season after being a September call-up, and posted a 5.40 ERA. Bochy was designated for assignment after the season to make room on the 40-man roster, but is back with the team on a minor league deal.

Gutierrez played a big part in the Giants’ bullpen early last season, and ended up pitching in 61 games with a 3.96 ERA, his lowest over a full season. He brings six-years of big league experience with him, and makes for good bullpen depth. This is his second year in a row as a non-roster invitee for San Francisco.

Jul 20, 2014; Miami, FL, USA; San Francisco Giants relief pitcher Juan Gutierrez (57) reacts during a game against the Miami Marlins at Marlins Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Quiroz will be entering his third year with the organization, and has spent most of his time in Triple-A. He has logged 45 games for the big league club, but has batted just .180 over that time. He adds valuable experience and depth at the catcher position, of which a team can never have too much.

Hicks was also a non-roster invitee in 2014, but he was impressive in Spring Training, and won an opening day roster spot because of Marco Scutaro‘s back injury. Hicks struggled offensively, batting just .162, and was eventually designated for assignment. He re-signed a minor league deal following the season, and will add more middle infield depth.

Two other pitchers bring previous big league experience to camp this year. Curtis Partch has appeared in 20 games for the Cincinnati Reds over the last two years, logging a 4.75 ERA and 1.418 WHIP. Cory Gearrin pitched in 77 games between 2011 and 2013 for the Atlanta Braves, totaling a 4.28 ERA. He missed all of 2014 following Tommy John surgery, but a sinkerball specialist could fit in well in the spacious confines of AT&T Park.

Carlos Triunfel, a middle infielder, has 39 games of big league experience over the past three years. He was a top prospect in the Seattle Mariners’ organization, but that hasn’t translated to major league success, as he has a .160 average with one home run and six RBI.

Justin Maxwell owns the most experience of the non-roster invitees, with 341 career games under his belt. He was a highly regarded prospect in the Nationals organization way back when, but has struggled to find consistent success in the Show. He brings a lot of power and athleticism, and could make a nice addition to the minor league roster.

Top prospects Kyle Crick, Clayton Blackburn, and Ty Blach will all be competing for opening day spots, but they’ll have steep uphill climbs, as the pitching staff looks to be full. Pitching coach Dave Righetti will probably take a special interest in Crick, as the burly right-hander is known for extremely erratic control. If he can cut down on a career 5.7 BB/9 rate, he could make some noise on the big league squad.

Apr 20, 2014; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Royals center fielder

Justin Maxwell

(27) at bat against the Minnesota Twins during the seventh inning at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter G. Aiken-USA TODAY Sports

Blackburn, a right-hander, and Blach, a southpaw, are extremely similar pitchers. They’re both control pitchers who don’t have typical “ace” stuff, but they look like they will make great additions to the middle of any rotation.

Adalberto Mejia is another top-ten prospect, but following Spring Training, he will be forced to serve a fifty-game suspension. That hurts his ascent, and seems to push back his major league ETA to 2016.

2012 first-round pick Chris Stratton is another great young pitching prospect. He’s 24 years old, and is likely to start 2014 in Triple-A. A good spring, coupled with good results in Sacramento could make him a player to watch heading into 2016.

Left-handed relievers Steven Okert and Nik Turley both seem to be on the very cusp of joining a big league bullpen. Okert owns a 2.45 career ERA, and he has the makings of a Jeremy Affeldt-type pitcher, being a lefty who can pitch multiple innings while effectively retiring hitters from both sides of the plate. Turley, signed in the offseason, is 25 years old, and looks like a classic example of a left-handed specialist.

Braulio Lara is probably the most surprising of the non-roster invitees. He’s 26 years old and spent seven years in the Tampa Bay Rays organization. Lara has struggled at the high levels of the minor leagues, posting a 4.88 ERA and 1.50 WHIP in 132.3 innings between Double and Triple-A. He owns a killer fastball, which has touched triple-digits, and like many who possess the same skill, control is a constant battle.

Joining Quiroz are fellow backstops Aramis Garcia and Ty Ross. Ross was drafted in the 12th-round in 2013, and he’s a defensive stalwart behind the plate, as he was rated the best defensive player in the entire state of Louisiana, at any position, before the draft in 2013. His offense is coming along, but he could turn into an Eli Whiteside-like player, a backup catcher with defense so good it offsets his limited bat.

Garcia, 2014’s second-round pick, is the opposite of Ross. He was drafted as an offensive force whose defensive needs work. His big bat didn’t show up immediately in 2014 as he batted .225 with two home runs and 15 RBI in 28 games. That’s a small sample-size, and joining the big league camp should help his development speed up.