The Boston Red Sox opened minor league spring training Sunday at JetBlue Park in Fort Myers, Fla., and the circumstances surrounding camp are anything but normal.
Usually, minor league spring training takes place in conjunction with major league spring training, but the ongoing MLB lockout prevents any player on the 40-man roster from using club facilities. So, the current contingent at Fenway South includes zero big leaguers and only a handful of upper-echelon prospects.
Players who signed minor league contracts with invitations to major league spring training still can participate in minor league spring training, though, and the Red Sox have 11 players who fall under the “non-roster invitee” umbrella after adding three more Sunday.
The full list is below.
PITCHERS (all RHP): Silvino Bracho, Taylor Cole, Tyler Danish, Darin Gillies, Michael Feliz, Zack Kelly
CATCHERS: Roldani Baldwin
INFIELDERS: Roberto Ramos, Yolmer Sánchez
OUTFIELDERS: Rob Refsnyder, Christin Stewart
Although these players might not jump off the page, the group includes a few who could parlay a strong spring into a major league role down the road. Obviously, the lack of a normal big league spring training also could have an undetermined impact on each player’s effort to make a strong case.
It’s worth noting that Jarren Duran, Jeter Downs, Jeisson Rosario, Hudson Potts, Connor Wong, Ronaldo Hernández, Bryan Mata, Jay Groome, Connor Seabold, Josh Winckowski, Kutter Crawford, Brayan Bello and Eduard Bazardo are among the Red Sox prospects unable to participate in minor league spring training during the lockout by virtue of being on Boston’s 40-man roster.
Triston Casas, Marcelo Mayer, Nick Yorke, Blaze Jordan and Gilberto Jimenez are among those who can participate, since they’re not on the Red Sox’s 40-man roster.
The Red Sox were scheduled to begin their 2022 regular season against the Tampa Bay Rays on March 31, but MLB has cancelled the first two series of the year as a result of the lockout.
