Nos. 4, 5 prospects among TB’s spring invites
ST. PETERSBURG — The Rays crammed out their Spring Training roster on Thursday, asserting eight Minor League signings and 18 of their very own prospects who will likely be invited to huge league camp subsequent month.
Tampa Bay agreed to phrases with eight gamers on Minor League contracts with non-roster invites to Major League Spring Training: right-handers Colten Brewer, Braden Bristo, Zack Burdi, Ben Heller, Heath Hembree, Trevor Kelley and Elvin Rodriguez and catcher Nick Dini.
The checklist of prospects invited to camp is headlined by first baseman Kyle Manzardo and left-hander Mason Montgomery, the group’s Minor League Player of the Year and Pitcher of the Year final season, in addition to Arizona Fall League standout reliever Evan Reifert.
The Rays additionally invited the next Minor Leaguers to Spring Training: right-handers Trevor Brigden, Ryan Burr, Cooper Criswell, Evan McKendry, Michael Mercado, Chris Muller, Hector Perez and Josh Roberson; catcher Blake Hunt; infielders Tristan Gray and Ronny Simon; and outfielders Ruben Cardenas, Niko Hulsizer, Kameron Misner and Grant Witherspoon.
Those strikes go away the Rays with a spring roster of 66 gamers: 38 pitchers, 5 catchers, 13 infielders and 10 outfielders.
The Rays have developed a repute for getting probably the most out of their pitchers, even lower-profile additions. They’ll hope for comparable success tales with this crop of non-roster invitees, who include varied ranges of Major League expertise and may at the least present obligatory depth all through the season.
Hembree, 34, has pitched in components of 10 seasons with the Giants, Red Sox, Phillies, Reds, Mets, Pirates and Dodgers, compiling a 4.39 ERA in 357 reduction appearances. Brewer, 30, has a 5.04 ERA in 81 outings over components of 4 seasons with the Padres and Red Sox. The 31-year-old Heller had a 2.59 ERA in 31 appearances over components of 4 seasons with the Yankees, however he’s been restricted to eight 2/3 innings within the Minors during the last two years as a result of a stress fracture in his elbow.
Kelley, 30, has posted a 7.13 ERA in 32 huge league appearances for the Red Sox, Phillies and Brewers, though he completed final season by recording a 2.36 ERA with 42 strikeouts in 34 1/3 innings over 34 appearances for Triple-A Nashville earlier than being designated for project on Jan. 4. The 27-year-old Burdi, a first-round Draft decide in 2016, was with the White Sox and Orioles in 2020-21 (7.79 ERA in 15 video games) and was restricted to 10 outings within the Nationals’ system final 12 months as a result of a proper elbow harm.
Rodriguez, 24, logged a ten.62 ERA over seven appearances in his debut for the Tigers final season. He pitched nicely for the Tigres del Licey within the Dominican Winter League and owns a 3.89 ERA in 127 Minor League appearances. The 28-year-old Bristo has spent his total profession within the Yankees’ system, placing collectively a 3.51 ERA in 178 outings over six Minor League seasons.
Dini will again up the trio of catchers on the 40-man roster: Christian Bethancourt, Francisco Mejía and René Pinto. The 29-year-old, whose solely huge league motion came to visit 20 video games for the Royals in 2019, slashed .232/.323/.446 with 11 homers and 37 RBIs in 50 video games for Triple-A Syracuse within the Mets’ system final season.
Manzardo, just lately named MLB Pipeline’s No. 3 first-base prospect, might very nicely be the Rays’ first baseman of the long run. The 22-year-old slashed .327/.426/.617 with 22 homers and 81 RBIs in 93 video games between High-A Bowling Green and Double-A Montgomery final season, main the system in all three triple-slash statistics whereas rating third in homers and fourth in RBIs.
The similar goes for Montgomery, 22, who recorded a 2.10 ERA with 171 strikeouts over 27 begins for Bowling Green and Montgomery final 12 months. The lefty completed final season because the Rays’ No. 5 prospect, in accordance with MLB Pipeline, as he led all Tampa Bay prospects in ERA and strikeouts.
Reifert, the 23-year-old with a wipeout slider, turned heads within the prospect-laden Arizona Fall League by hanging out 25 of the 40 batters he confronted, strolling solely 4 and permitting only one hit in 11 2/3 innings over eight appearances for the Mesa Solar Sox final fall.
Among the opposite notable prospects coming to huge league camp are Burr, who signed a two-year Minor League deal final August and is at present recovering from proper shoulder surgical procedure; Hector Perez, a Minor League section Rule 5 Draft decide in December; Misner, Tampa Bay’s No. 19 prospect; Simon, who impressed within the Fall League; and Hunt, a part of the Rays’ return for Blake Snell.
