ST. LOUIS — The minor league stolen base leader, an Arizona Fall League All-Star and multiple first-round picks are among the non-roster invitees to Cardinals spring training this year.
Top pitching prospects Tink Hence, Gordon Graceffo and Cooper Hjerpe will be joined by position player prospects Victor Scott II, Thomas Saggese and Jeremy Rivas at the Cardinals camp.
A non-roster invite is extended to developing players in a team's system who are not on the team's 40-man roster.
Pitchers and catchers report for spring training on Feb. 14. Position players will have their first practice on Feb. 19.
Some of the players to know from the non-roster invites are:
Hence, 21, is the top pitching prospect in the Cardinals system and was ranked the No. 42 prospect in baseball by MLB.com. He made 12 starts between Single-A Peoria and Double-A Springfield in 2023. He picked up 99 strikeouts in 96 innings, showing strikeout stuff that has been lacking in the Cardinals rotation.
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Scott, 22, is not ranked in MLB.com's top 100 prospects, but he has gotten attention around the baseball world for his ability to steal bases. Since being picked by the Cardinals in the fifth round out of West Virginia, Scott has stolen 107 bases, including 94 in 2023.
Scott also split time between Peoria and Springfield, and put up better offensive numbers when making the jump to Springfield.
The last time a member of the Cardinals stole more than 50 bases was Delino Deshields with 55 in 1997.
2023 trade acquisitions
The Cardinals were sellers at the 2023 trade deadline and focused on bolstering their farm system by trading off pitchers Jordan Montgomery, Jack Flaherty and Jordan Hicks as well as shortstop Paul Dejong. In return, the Cardinals received several prospects.
Three of those prospects will be in Jupiter for spring training.
Pitcher Tekoah Roby and infielder Thomas Saggese, who were acquired in exchange for Jordan Montgomery, and infielder César Prieto, who was acquired in the Jack Flaherty trade, will all make the trip.
Roby, 22, played in Springfield after making the move to the Cardinals system while Prieto, 24, and Saggese, 21, topped out at Triple-A Memphis.
The full list of non-roster invites is as follows:
- 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
