Yardbarker
Yardbarker
x
Baltimore Orioles Announce List of Non-Roster Spring Training Invitees
Baltimore Orioles hats and glove sits in dugout in the second inning against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

The Baltimore Orioles have completed their list of non-roster spring training invitees, and it is laden with some of the best prospects in their farm system.

This will give fans the opportunity to see some of the up-and-coming players prior to their MLB debuts try to prove themselves and show their talents.

The Orioles farm system has been one of the strongest for multiple seasons now, as they are finally reaping the rewards of their enormously difficult 2017 to 2021 seasons.

With Adley Rutschman, Gunnar Henderson, Colton Cowser, Jordan Westburg, and Jackson Holliday all likely to make the opening day starting lineup, they prove just how well Baltimore has done with their last few years of draft picks.

This group is not the end however, as multiple more prospects are on their way to making a major league debut, and spring training could give the team the opportunity to really get a look at the best ones they have available.

Among this group of 26 players who will be joining the team in Sarasota, Fla., are some of the premier prospects from their development teams. Four of these prospects were recently ranked among the Top 10 in the Orioles system by Baseball America — Samuel Basallo, Enrique Bradfield Jr., Dylan Beavers, and Jud Fabian.

These four have been highly regarded among the prospects Baltimore has at the moment, and will now have the opportunity to attend spring training.

Pitcher Matt Bowman could be an intriguing player to watch out for as well, as a decent quality relief arm who could work his way into the bullpen with a good few outings. He pitched for four teams in 2024, as he threw 30.2 innings across 25 games, with a 4.40 ERA and a 1.272 WHIP, 24 strikeouts to 13 walks, and 7.0 strikeouts per nine innings.

Franklin Barreto is another interesting addition to the list, having not played in the major leagues since 2020, he has been working in the Mexican League for a little while with Tecolotes de los Dos Laredos and Diablos Rojos del México.

In 2024 he played 76 games, and in 321 at bats he finished with a slash line of .343/.430/1.006 with 63 RBI, 110 runs, 16 home runs, 99 strikeouts to 45 walks, and eight stolen bases. In the field he had Additionally, his fielding in center was exceptionally strong. He had 148 putouts, seven assists, turned a double play, and had no errors in 647 innings.

He could be one of the players to watch as he attempts to make an MLB return.

Recommended Articles


This article first appeared on Baltimore Orioles on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads:

TODAY'S BEST

Mets, White Sox have reportedly discussed a trade
MLB

Mets, White Sox have reportedly discussed a trade

The Mets have been tied to White Sox center fielder Luis Robert Jr. in trade rumors for months. Talks between New York and Chicago are ongoing, and MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand writes that the Mets remain one of the more aggressive suitors. According to Feinsand, Mets infielder Luisangel Acuña is among the players whom the teams have discussed. USA Today’s Bob Nightengale wrote over the weekend that the White Sox wanted Mark Vientos included in a Robert return. Even with Vientos amidst a down year, that’s a significant ask given Robert’s offensive inconsistency. The 23-year-old Acuña has not shown anywhere close to the same upside as Vientos did a season ago, when he batted .266/.322/.516 with 27 home runs. Acuña is a much better defensive player than Vientos, but he has a more limited offensive profile. The righty-hitting Acuña has a career .253/.300/.354 line with a trio of homers in 91 games. He has a similar .260/.303/.356 slash in 640 Triple-A plate appearances. Acuña is a decent contact hitter but has minimal power. With Francisco Lindor locked in at shortstop, Acuña has mostly played second base in Queens. Prospect evaluators credit him with the athleticism and arm strength to play shortstop. That could make him more valuable to another team than the Mets. The White Sox are using Colson Montgomery more often at third base. Fellow rookie Chase Meidroth is playing more shortstop. Meidroth has a good approach but only has managed three homers in his first 82 MLB games. Most scouting reports while he was in the minors projected him as a long-term second baseman. It’s not clear how likely the Mets are to land Robert, nor is it a guarantee that Acuña would be in the return. He’s presumably one of many players whom the teams have discussed as they kick around potential frameworks. The Sox have at least floated the idea of holding their center fielder beyond the deadline if they don’t get a strong prospect package. Robert is technically controllable for two more seasons via successive $20M club options. It’d seem more likely that he’ll be bought out for $2M next offseason, but the White Sox have pushed the idea that they could exercise the first option rather than accept a suboptimal trade return. Their actions over the next 36 hours will reveal whether that’s a genuine consideration or a mere negotiating stance. In addition to New York, the Padres and Phillies have shown recent interest in Robert.

NFL analyst says teams should be 'extremely scared' of this franchise in 2025
NFL

NFL analyst says teams should be 'extremely scared' of this franchise in 2025

While the Philadelphia Eagles, Detroit Lions and Washington Commanders have garnered a lot of attention lately, there is one NFC team that has quietly been flying under the radar. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers lost a one-score game to the Lions in the divisional round in 2023 and followed that up with another one-score loss to QB Jayden Daniels and the Commanders last season, proving how close they have been to the ultimate prize in the two seasons with Baker Mayfield under center. In an appearance on ESPN's "Get Up" Tuesday morning, analyst and former player Ryan Clark offered high praise for Mayfield and what the Buccaneers are capable of. "Baker Mayfield is a top-10 quarterback in this league," Clark said. "Baker Mayfield is a football player. And when I say that, I know people at home are gonna be like, 'Duh, he gets paid to play football.' No, not all quarterbacks are seen as football players. Not all quarterbacks are embraced in the locker room as one of us." Clark sees the Buccaneers as a team the rest of the league should be paying attention to because of who they have returning and the close calls in the playoffs the last two seasons. "This is a team that's been on the cusp the last two years," Clark said. "Now you think about some of the pieces they've added, the confidence in their quarterback and the way that he plays, and Todd Bowles with another year to understand winning at a high level at the head coach position. This is a team you better be extremely scared of because they're stacked and they're confident." Mayfield has been sensational during his time with the Buccaneers. Although he did throw 16 interceptions, Mayfield accounted for the third-most passing yards (4,500) in the league last season and has thrown the most TD passes (69) in the last two seasons, per StatMuse. To add even more incentive for Mayfield, the team restructured his contract, which is set to expire after the 2026 season, to include $30M in guaranteed salary for that season. The Buccaneers return a lot of production on both sides of the ball, in addition to bringing in first-round draft pick Emeka Egbuka, who topped 1,000 receiving yards twice at Ohio State and accounted for 26 total TDs. While Tampa Bay allowed the 17th-most points per game (22.7) last season, it returns the majority of its defensive production. On top of that, the offseason acquisition of veteran LB and two-time Pro-Bowler Haason Reddick, who agreed to terms on a one-year deal, should be a welcomed addition for a franchise that had some question marks on defense last season. The Buccaneers are projected to have the sixth-easiest schedule in the NFL this season and have the best chance to win the NFC South for the fifth consecutive season, according to ESPN Analytics. If Mayfield can cut back on his turnovers and the defense can create more pressure on opposing QBs, the Buccaneers could be a threat in the NFC once again as they look to put their recent nail-biting losses in the postseason behind them.

New Report on Warriors-Kings Trade That Would Swap Jonathan Kuminga, DeMar DeRozan
NBA

New Report on Warriors-Kings Trade That Would Swap Jonathan Kuminga, DeMar DeRozan

Jonathan Kuminga has remained a free agent this offseason. There's no telling how his situation will resolve itself with the Golden State Warriors, but ClutchPoints' Brett Siegel has confirmed that the Sacramento Kings are among his interested suitors. It's unclear if the Warriors want to keep Kuminga around, but it's also clear that if he wants to join another team, they wouldn't want to lose him for nothing. One way the Warriors and Kings could resolve the Kuminga situation is by agreeing to a sign-and-trade that would swap Kuminga for players on the Kings roster. It would depend on who the Warriors would want in return for Kuminga. The Kings have some players to offer in exchange for the wing, like DeMar DeRozan or Devin Carter, so getting them would be something for Kuminga. However, even if the Warriors could entertain a sign-and-trade for the young wing, they're not interested in those two Kings. More than that, Sacramento may want Kuminga but only at a fair price. Sam Amick revealed the details during his appearance on Warriors Plus/Minus. "My understanding is the Warriors weren't interested in Carter or DeRozan," Amick said, which was aggregated by 95.7 The Game's Evan Giddings. "As of a couple weeks ago, the Kings weren't willing to pay Kuminga into the $20 million range (per year)." DeRozan is a six-time All-Star who will enter the second year of a three-year, $78.9 million contract. The Warriors are not above either of the NBA's tax aprons at the moment, while the Kings are hard-capped at the first apron.

Unreal A'ja Wilson game shows why Aces' season has been a missed opportunity
WNBA

Unreal A'ja Wilson game shows why Aces' season has been a missed opportunity

A'ja Wilson is still "Her." In case anyone doubted because of the Las Vegas Aces' mediocre record, Wilson issued a reminder that she's the WNBA's best player with an unreal first quarter against the Los Angeles Sparks. The three-time MVP scored 17 of the Aces' 31 first-quarter points on 8-of-8 shooting, including a make from three-point range. Wilson also contributed two rebounds, two assists and two steals as Las Vegas built a 13-point lead after one. She got the scoring started with a bucket in the paint, where she scored 10 of her 17 points. Wilson expanded her range later in the quarter with a 24-foot three from the corner after being left wide open. She scored her final basket of the quarter off an offensive rebound, giving the Aces an early 23-7 advantage. Wilson ended the game with 34 points while shooting 16-of-23, 10 rebounds, four assists, three steals and three blocks. It was her 21st career 30-point triple-double, extending her WNBA record. Las Vegas won, 89-74. The season hasn't gone the way the Aces (14-13) hoped, but that's no fault of Wilson's. Entering Tuesday, she was averaging 21.6 points, 9.1 rebounds, 2.4 blocks and 1.6 steals per game. Las Vegas is seventh in the standings and eight games out of first place. It hasn't finished a season more than five games back of first since 2018. The Aces have already won two titles with Wilson, and her monster performance shows why their window is far from closed despite seemingly hitting a lull. As long as Wilson remains at her peak, Las Vegas will be relevant. It also makes this season a missed opportunity.

Customize Your Newsletter

Yardbarker +

Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!