Manzardo headlines Guards' list of Spring Training non-roster invitees

January 19th, 2024
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      CLEVELAND -- The Guardians have released their list of non-roster invitees for this year’s big league Spring Training camp.

      While the team had previously announced two names on the list, it extended 12 more invitations on Friday afternoon to four pitchers, three catchers, four infielders and one outfielder. Within that group are three of Cleveland’s Top 30 prospects, according to MLB Pipeline.

      Pitchers
      Franco Aleman, RHP
      Jaime Barria, RHP (previously invited)
      Tanner Burns, RHP
      Nic Enright, RHP
      Anthony Gose, LHP
      Adam Oller, RHP (previously invited)

      Catchers
      Michael Berglund
      Bryan Lavastida
      Eric Rodriguez

      Infielders
      Raynel Delgado
      Kyle Manzardo
      Micah Pries
      Daniel Schneemann

      Outfielder
      Petey Halpin

      There are certainly a handful of names that will stand out to Guardians fans. Let’s start with Gose.

      Gose is the outfielder-turned-pitcher who was impressive for Cleveland in just a handful of appearances in 2021. He returned in '22, posting a 4.71 ERA in 21 innings, but he was shut down in July with arm trouble that led to Tommy John surgery. After missing more than a year of activity, the 33-year-old will be back in competition for a bullpen spot.

      Manzardo is Cleveland’s No. 2 prospect, and his bat was the reason why the Guardians felt comfortable parting ways with Aaron Civale at last year's Trade Deadline. Manzardo was sidelined in the middle of the season last year with shoulder pain, but he started to gain steam toward the end of the year. He showed off his power in the Arizona Fall League, hitting six homers in 22 games with 19 RBIs.

      Burns has been in Cleveland’s system since he was selected with the 36th overall pick in the 2020 MLB Draft. The Guardians’ No. 20 prospect has been steady over the past three Minor League seasons, owning a 3.57 ERA in 18 starts with High-A Lake County in '21, a 3.55 ERA in 21 starts with Double-A Akron in '22 and a 3.01 ERA in 29 appearances (14 starts) with Akron in '23. He could become an option in the rotation or out of the 'pen moving forward.

      Halpin is the last Top 30 prospect on this list. Ranking at No. 21, Halpin made a strong impression on former manager Terry Francona last year, when he was used as a fill-in for the late innings of a few Cactus League games. In one of his few at-bats in front of the big league coaching staff, he smacked a three-run double that earned him $50 as the MVP of the game from Francona. The Guardians liked Halpin's poise and hustle, and now they’ll have an opportunity to see him more frequently.

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      Mandy Bell covers the Guardians for MLB.com. Listen to her on the Ballpark Dimensions podcast with Sarah Langs.