Top prospects and veterans highlight Diamondbacks' 2025 list of non-roster invitees

The Arizona Diamondbacks have announced 19 non-roster invitees for Spring Training in 2025.

Those 19 players will compete with the players on the Diamondbacks' 40-man roster for 26 roster spots on the Opening Day roster. Some of the players joining camp include top prospects and veteran minor league signings.

Gino Groover headlines top prospects going to camp

Infielder Gino Groover leads the list of prospects entering camp. The right-handed hitting infielder hit well in his stint in the Arizona Fall League despite a lack of slug and was able to finish the 2024 season in Double-A Amarillo. The fact he's being considered for camp is a good sign for a potential late 2025 debut if he has another good year.

Groover's defensive position is a question mark, playing first, second, and third base in the minors and fall league. Arizona has been developing him mostly at third base throughout his career. One thing that isn't questionable is his hit tool, one of the best in the organization. Groover has a rare combination of plate discipline, exit velocities, and contact rates, which may bode well for a player who hits for both average and power down the road.

Another notable prospect to get an invite is outfielder Kristian Robinson, who went untouched the Rule 5 Draft in December after the organization left him off the 40-man roster. The toolsy outfielder has had a rough road in the Diamondbacks' system, but 2024 proved to be a pivotal year for him to put his troubles behind him and resume his career as a baseball player. The invite serves as a validation of his strong work throughout the season and fall league.

Kyle Amendt, Listher Sosa, and Christian Cerda are listed on FanGraphs' top prospect list for the organization. Tristin English is coming off a disappointing 2024 season with Triple-A Reno, but as a right-handed bat with plus power and plenty of experience in the upper minors could get a shot to make an impression. Christian Montes De Oca is a sleeper reliever prospect who has steadily climbed up the system with a mid-90s fastball and a swing-and-miss slider.

All five players are considered long shots to make the club, but Amendt, Montes De Oca, and English have the best chances to debut in 2025.

Camp battle highlights minor league signings

The most intriguing camp battle could be the backup shortstop role. Veteran infielders Garrett Hampson, who they signed on Friday, and Ildemaro Vargas figure to be part of the backup shortstop battle. 2024 proved to be important to build middle infield depth, as Kevin Newman proved to be a reliable player to keep the team afloat at the shortstop position when they lost Geraldo Perdomo to injury for two months.

Vargas previously played for the Diamondbacks from 2017 to 2021, seeing action in 144 games with the club as a backup infielder. He can play multiple infield positions and is a switch-hitter, who's better against left-handed pitchers for his career, so he should have a solid chance to make the club. He graded out well in defensive runs saved at third base (+8) and second (+2), but not as well as shortstop (-11). Statcast's Outs Above Average metric paints a similar picture.

Another spot up for grabs potentially is the eighth and final bullpen spot. General manager Mike Hazen is still looking for a late-inning arm to add to the bullpen and how they manage to shake out their rotation will affect the bullpen. If they go with a six-man rotation or a long reliever, that limits the number of open spots to likely one.

The Diamondbacks brought in Josh Winder, Juan Morillo, Jose Castillo, and Jeff Brigham in to add competition to their bullpen. Vieira pitched with the Diamondbacks in the 2024 season, with a 2.87 ERA despite a low strikeout rate of 21.2% and a high walk rate of 13.6%. He can touch up to 100 MPH on two different fastballs.

Cristian Pache is another toolsy and athletic outfielder who has never hit at the big league level. He came up the Braves system but has not hit at the major league level, with a .181 average for his career. He is a career .137 hitter against right-handed pitching, which hurts his viability as a fourth outfielder as he'll only see the platoon advantage 50-60% of the time. His best season came in 2023 when he was the fourth outfielder for the Philadelphia Phillies. He'll compete with Hampson for the fourth outfielder role.