Spring Training Invites
Here’s the list of NRI’s the M’s are going to have in big league camp in Peoria.
Catchers: Jamie Burke, Adam Moore, and Luis Oliveros.
Infielders: Callix Crabbe, Chris Woodward, Oswaldo Navarro, and Chris Shelton
Outfielders: Freddy Guzman and Prentice Redman.
Pitchers: Shawn Kelley, Eric Hull, Chris Jakubauskas, Luis Munoz, Chris Seddon, Dennis Stark, Tracy Thorpe and Sean White.
The guys who have a shot of making the team are Burke, Shelton, and maybe Eric Hull.
Kelley is a potential mid-season callup, depending on how he does in the minors. He’s coming on strong after blowing hitters away in the Venezuelan Winter League to close a very successful 2008 season. If you’re looking for the next out-of-nowhere closer candidate, he’s probably the best bet in the organization. It’s not completely impossible that he’d make the Opening Day roster, but there’s so many pitchers in front of him that it’s pretty unlikely.
Denny Stark! Woot. Interesting, he didn’t play pro ball at all it appears in ’06 or ’07, and only accumulating 58 IP or in the minors in ’05.
And, Eric Hull is a “local” (Yakima, University of Portland). Perhaps he’ll take over WFB’s mantle of lovable local kid?
Hull has average more than a K per inning in the minors the last 3 seasons for a spiffy 2.47 k/bb ratio.
I’m pulling for Prentice Redman, I’d love to see him as a fourth OF. I know its a long shot but I’ve watched his career over the years and I just hope he does well enough in ST to make the team or at least be considered if there is an injury.
Is that the same Dennis Stark we included in the trade for Cirillo lo so many years ago? He’s still around?
djw – Yes. He’s attempting a comeback after some injuries.
I wouldn’t count out Jakubauskus, he is older, and has been pretty productive. If he isn’t used soon he will have no value whatsoever.
Not a very interesting group…
Chris Woodward is actually a pretty serviceable SS on World Series Baseball 2K3 (yeah, it’s a few years old). Video games are goofy like that…
It will be instructive to see if they carry three catchers, and if so what they do with Rob Johnson. I can’t imagine he has anything to learn at AAA anymore, but it’s probably better that he’d be catching five times a week for Tacoma than once a week in Seattle. I’d get rid of Burke if only to send a message to Washburn, but it’s not my club to run.
I’m most looking forward to seeing Moore and Jakubauskas in the spring.
Couldn’t some of this also depend on the Rule 5 guys? I know there’s an “incentive” to keep them, but it seems like they could open up some more spots if necessary.
I, for one, wouldn’t be surprised to see Stark come into spring training hitting the corners at 94 mph and working his way into the bulpen.
I wonder if the new MLBN will carry some spring training games. Anyone know?
It would be nice to see a few more M’s games on TV, since they only do radio for almost all the spring games.
not to mention how he’d fit into the exciting new season of “Spell That Mariner”
I wouldn’t count out Jakubauskus
not to mention how he’d fit into the exciting new season of “Spell That Marinerâ€
Good point. Maybe it’s time to resurrect that section of the site that provided help with spelling some of the more difficult names. I always thought that was a great feature but I can’t seem to find it now.
It’s Callix Crabbe, with two L’s. I can’t believe everyone doesn’t know that yet! It’s a name even Coco Crisp can’t beat.
The flying tomato?
Callix Crabbe sounds like a weird Harry Potter Spell.
or a failed wizard.