photo: Michael McGreevy and Tink Hence (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)
St. Louis Cardinals release
The St. Louis Cardinals announced 27 non-roster invitees to 2024 Spring Training camp today (Wednesday, January 10). Highlighting the list of those set to report to Jupiter the second week of February are two Cardinals first round draft picks and several top prospects including three players acquired at the 2023 trade deadline.
We have extended non-roster invites to the following players ahead of Spring Training 2024.
Pitchers and catchers will hold their first workout on February 14.#STLCards pic.twitter.com/OA8s5jdWuT
— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) January 10, 2024
Top draft picks RHP Michael McGreevy (1st Round – 2021) and LHP Cooper Hjerpe (1st Round – 2022) join RHP Tink Hence (2nd Round – 2020). Catchers Leonardo Bernal and Sammy Hernandez, who was acquired in a trade with Toronto, represent the youngest players in the group of invitees, both at 19-years old with Bernal turning 20 on the day pitchers and catchers report.
Minor League stolen base leader Victor Scott II joins fellow Arizona Fall League All-Stars RHP Tekoah Roby and Hjerpe to receive invites. Roby and infielders Thomas Saggese and César Prieto were acquired at the 2023 trade deadline.
Cardinals 2023 Minor League Pitcher of the Year Max Rajcic joins St. Louis Cardinals roster members with Major League experience RHP Kyle Leahy and LHP Packy Naughton.
Following is a positional list of Non-Roster Invite players:
PITCHERS (14): Gordon Graceffo (RHP), Andre Granillo (RHP), Tink Hence (RHP), Cooper Hjerpe (LHP), Kyle Leahy (RHP), Ryan Loutos (RHP), Michael McGreevy (RHP), Packy Naughton (LHP), Max Rajcic (RHP), Tekoah Roby (RHP), Wilking Rodríguez (RHP), Victor Santos (RHP), Logan Sawyer (RHP), Connor Thomas (LHP);
CATCHERS (7): Aaron Antonini, Leonardo Bernal, Jimmy Crooks, Carlos Linárez, Nick Raposo, Wade Stauss, Sammy Hernandez;
INFIELDERS (4): Arquímedes Gamboa, César Prieto, Jeremy Rivas, Thomas Saggese;
OUTFIELDERS (2): Matt Koperniak, Victor Scott II
Cardinals pitchers and catchers will hold their first practice at the Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium complex on February 14 with the position player’s first practice on February 19.
Brian Walton’s take
15 of the 27 non-roster invitees are members of The Cardinal Nation’s 2024 Top Prospect list, including our no. 2 through no. 11 prospects. Another eight members of our Top 50 will be in camp due to their spots on the 40-man roster, including top prospect Masyn Winn.
NRI prospects (15): Tink Hence (no. 2), Tekoah Roby (3), Victor Scott (4), Thomas Saggese (5), Gordon Graceffo (6), Cooper Hjerpe (7), Michael McGreevy (8), Leonardo Bernal (9), Max Rajcic (10), Jimmy Crooks (11), Cesar Prieto (23), Andre Granillo (26), Connor Thomas (37), Matt Koperniak (45) and Jeremy Rivas (46).
40-man prospects (8): Masyn Winn (no. 1), Sem Robberse (14), Adam Kloffenstein (17), Moises Gomez (22), Pedro Pages (28), Drew Rom (29), Michael Siani (36) and Guillermo Zuniga (50).
Another way to look at the relative youth of some of the NRIs is to consider their experience levels. Five NRIs finished 2023 in Class-A.
From Low-A Palm Beach (2): Leonardo Bernal and Sammy Hernandez
From High-A Peoria (3): Cooper Hjerpe, Carlos Linarez and Jeremy Rivas
Not surprisingly, no members of the Cardinals’ 2023 draft class are among the non-roster invitees.
For more information, check out The Cardinal Nation’s free Roster Matrix to view the Cardinals’ 40-man roster with all spring non-roster invitees designated.
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