Non-roster players to keep eye on
In the wake of the Oakland Athletics’ scramble in spring training to fill out their roster last year, five non-roster invitees opened the season on their 26man team. The A’s may be slightly more stable this spring, but they’ll have two dozen non-roster players in camp, some to provide depth options, balanced against top prospects making Cactus League cameos.
Even if none of these players make the Opening Day cut, they could still appear down the road. Here are a few of the A’s non-roster invitees worth watching in Arizona, for varying reasons.
Tyler Soderstrom and Zack Gelof: Though both Soderstrom and Gelof are touted prospects, neither is likely to vie for a roster spot out of camp. However, they finished last season with short stints at Triple-A and could be on a track for MLB debuts at some point this season.
Soderstrom, 21, was drafted as a catcher but played more first base last season, so it will be interesting to see where he spends more time in camp. The A’s top prospect, he’s an advanced lefthanded hitter who popped 29 home runs in 2022, so there’s interest in how his approach fares against more advanced pitching.
Gelof, 23, has moved quickly since the A’s drafted him in the second round in 2021. He started last year at Double-A and hit .271/ .356/.438 there despite missing two months with a torn shoulder labrum. He played mostly third base pre-injury and second after, so where he plays in the infield this spring will be worth following.
J.T. Ginn and Mason Miller:
The A’s already have a host of rotation options on their 40-man roster, and the starters who don’t win a spot in camp will be the next men up. Starting prospects Ginn and Miller should be in camp mostly to get looks from the big-league staff.
Ginn, 23, acquired last March in the Chris Bassitt trade with the Mets, threw just 421⁄3 innings last year, missing time with forearm tightness. But he pitched well in the Arizona Fall League, and the A’s like his sinkerball profile and competitiveness.
Miller, a 6-foot-5 right-hander, may have the most electric arm in the A’s system. The 2021 thirdround pick has just 20 minorleague innings due to injuries. But he impressed in six AFL starts last year, throwing a fastball that reached triple digits to complement a hard slider.
Jake Fishman and Garrett Williams:
If A.J. Puk moves to the rotation, the A’s will have just one left-hander, Sam Moll, penciled into their bullpen. Fishman or Williams, lefties signed to minor-league deals with camp invites, could stick with a strong spring.
Fishman, 28, is a side-armer who reached the majors with Miami last season throwing a high-80s sinker and a slider; he posted a 2.25 ERA in 33 outings at Triple-A. Williams, 28, had a 5.73 ERA but 101 strikeouts in 77 innings split between Double- and Triple-A in the Cardinals’ system last year.
Yohel Pozo and Kyle McCann: The A’s appear set at catcher with Shea Langeliers as the starter and veteran Manny Piña as a backup. They are the only two catchers on the 40-man roster, but if Oakland needs alternatives, Pozo or McCann look like the readiest options.
Pozo signed a minor-league deal after years in the Rangers system, and he is a bat-first backstop. McCann was a fourthround pick by the A’s in 2019 and has the opposite profile, but he had a breakout year in 2022, hitting 20 homers in 98 games at Double-A and ending the season with a brief Triple-A stint.
Deolis Guerra: An adequate reliever for the A’s in 2021, when Guerra made 53 appearances and posted a 4.11 ERA, he’s less than a year removed from April’s Tommy John surgery. The A’s will evaluate his recovery in camp.
Tyler Wade: Wade, 28, has the most MLB experience of the non-roster position players in camp, logging 30 or more big league games in each of the past six seasons. He hasn’t hit much — a .214/.291/.298 in 331 games for the Yankees and Angels — but has played every position but first base and catcher. The A’s love versatility, and Wade could compete for a utility role.
Logan Davidson: The A’s opted not to protect their 2019 first-round pick from Rule 5 draft eligibility this offseason, a dubious sign for Davidson after he spent the past two seasons at Double-A. Davidson hit .252/ .337/.406 with 14 homers in 111 games last year, but he’ll need to take a step forward if he’s ever to make an impact for the A’s, who have him playing shortstop and third base.
Denzel Clarke, Max Muncy and Daniel Susac: Clarke, who played in last year’s All-Star Futures Game, and Muncy and Susac, the A’s first-round draft picks the past two years, will be among the prospect group attending their first big-league camp for a glimpse at upper-level competition. The same goes for outfielder Lawrence Butler, who was added to the 40-man roster this offseason.