KANSAS CITY – The Royals are inviting 25 non-roster players to Major League Spring Training, which begins in just two weeks at the team’s facility in Surprise, Ariz.
Of those 25 players, 15 were originally drafted or signed by Kansas City, and six rank on MLB Pipeline’s Top 30 list for the club, including catcher Blake Mitchell (No. 2), catcher Ramon Ramirez (No. 9), shortstop Daniel Vazquez (No. 16), center fielder Carson Roccaforte (No. 20), lefty Frank Mozzicato (No. 22) and outfielder Gavin Cross (No. 24).
With Mitchell and Ramirez in the fold, that means that the Royals’ top three catching prospects will all be in big league camp, as they’ll join top prospect Carter Jensen, who is expected to compete for an Opening Day roster spot this spring. Leading them all, of course, is Salvador Perez, as he prepares for his 15th Major League season.
COMPLETE ROYALS PROSPECT COVERAGE
Nine invitees this spring are new to the Royals. Veteran right-hander Héctor Neris has pitched in the Majors for 12 years and won the 2022 World Series with the Astros as a key piece of their bullpen. The Royals will have several versatile infielders competing for a bench spot this spring, all of whom have logged Major League time before, including Josh Rojas, Abraham Toro, Connor Kaiser and Kevin Newman.
And they have one returner who is coming back for another stint with Kansas City: Jose Cuas pitched for the Royals from 2022-23 before playing for the Cubs in 2023-24 and Blue Jays in ‘24. Last year, he split the season between Minor League affiliates of the Phillies and Braves, and he signed a Minor League contract with the Royals this offseason.
Here is the full list of the NRIs who will be in big league camp:
Pitchers (10): RHPs A.J. Causey, Dennis Colleran, Jose Cuas, Héctor Neris, Shane Panzini, Aaron Sanchez; LHPs Chazz Martinez, Frank Mozzicato, Helcris Olivárez, Hunter Patteson
Catchers (7): Jorge Alfaro, Canyon Brown, Omar Hernandez, Elih Marrero, Blake Mitchell, Ramon Ramirez, Luca Tresh
Infielders (6): Connor Kaiser, Kevin Newman, Josh Rojas, Abraham Toro, Daniel Vazquez, Peyton Wilson
Outfielders (2): Gavin Cross, Carson Roccaforte
Royals pitchers and catchers will have their first workout in Surprise on Feb. 11. The first full squad workout is scheduled for Feb. 16.