Reds extend spring invite to 19 non-roster players
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CINCINNATI -- The Reds completed Thursday's trade of Rule 5 selection Luis Torrens to the Padres on Friday by announcing that they acquired infielder Josh VanMeter.
VanMeter, 21, split the 2016 season at San Diego's Class A Advanced and Double-A affiliates, batting a combined .251/.331/.403 with 14 home runs and 56 RBIs. He primarily plays second base and third base but also has shortstop experience.
Torrens, a catcher, was picked second overall in the Rule 5 Draft and flipped to the Padres later in the day. The Reds also received cash in the deal.
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Cincinnati also announced the invitation of 19 non-roster players to big league camp at Spring Training: catchers Rob Brantly, Chad Wallach and Shawn Zarraga, right-handers Alejandro Chacin, Vladimir Gutierrez, Jimmy Herget, Tyler Mahle, Evan Mitchell and Kevin Shackelford, left-handers Ismael Guillòn, Lucas Luetge and Nick Routt, infielder Brandon Dixon, shortstop Zach Vincej, outfielders Sebastian Elizalde and Gabriel Guerrero, infielder/outfielder Patrick Kivlehan and Tony Renda and utility player Hernan Iribarren.
Of the invites, Renda, Iribarren and Kivlehan spent some time in the Major Leagues last season with Cincinnati.
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Gutierrez, who ranks as the organization's fifth-best prospect by MLBPipeline.com, was a Cuban defector that the Reds signed in September for $4.75 million.
Vincej was recently named to the Arizona Fall League's top prospects team. Wallach, Mitchell and Routt also took part in the AFL last month.