Rangers announce four additional non-roster invitations to Major League Spring Training
Minor League players Cody Buckel, Joey Butler, Jose Felix, and Nick Tepesch receive invites
The Texas Rangers announced today that the club has extended non-roster invitations to major league spring training to the following four internal players: RHP Cody Buckel (pronounced byoo-KELL), OF Joey Butler, C Jose Felix, and RHP Nick Tepesch (pronounced TEHP-esh).
Buckel, 20, went a combined 10-8 with a 2.49 ERA (40 ER/144.2 IP) in 26 games/23 starts for Myrtle Beach (High-A) and Frisco (AA) last season and was named the Rangers Nolan Ryan Minor League Pitcher of the Year. Butler, 26, spent last season at Round Rock (AAA), batting .290 (143-493) with 20 homers and 78 RBI in 137 games. Felix, 24, will be in big league camp for a second time (also 2011) after batting .260 (76-292) with 7 homers and 41 RBI in 82 games for Frisco in 2012. Tepesch, 24, combined to go 11-6 with a 3.67 ERA (66 ER/162.0 IP) in 28 games/26 starts for Myrtle Beach and Frisco.
None of the four additions has ever played in the major leagues, and Felix is the only player in the group to have previously been in major league camp.
With these four additions, the Rangers now have 63 players on the club's spring training roster: a full 40-man roster and 23 non-roster invitees.