Kansas City Royals invite 23 non-roster players to spring training: the list

The Kansas City Royals will get an extended look at a few players during spring training, including 23 non-roster players officially invited Wednesday to their major-league camp in Surprise, Arizona.

The Royals now have 63 players on their major-league spring training roster. The extended group includes the 40-man roster and the non-roster invitees.

The non-roster list includes a mix of Royals prospects and MLB veterans that signed minor-league deals this offseason. The list of 12 includes 10 pitchers, five catchers, five infielders and three outfielders.

Royals reliever Austin Cox headlines the non-roster invitees. Cox, 26, posted a 4.54 ERA in 24 games last season. He made three starts and also picked up a save.

Cox showed promise in limited appearances. He recorded 33 strikeouts and held opponents to a .220 batting average in 35 2/3 innings. Cox will look to earn a roster spot this spring while rebounding from a torn ACL that occurred against the Toronto Blue Jays in September.

Royals catchers Logan Porter and Tyler Cropley are slated to return. Both players filled key roles down the stretch last season. At one point, Porter and Cropley were the Royals’ lone catchers, as veterans Salvador Perez and Freddy Fermin dealt with injuries.

Porter hit .194 in 31 games last season. His story as a former Royals clubhouse assistant is well documented. He made his major-league debut against the Chicago White Sox on Sept. 12.

Cropley, too, has a unique story. He also made his MLB debut in 2023. He logged six at-bats in two games.

Other notable players invited to Royals spring training include outfielder Nate Eaton, pitcher Dan Altavilla and Luis Cessa.

The Royals will also have a chance to evaluate a few minor-league prospects. KC will add three more top-30 prospects during camp. The group includes Chandler Champlain (No. 11), Mason Barnett (No. 12), Diego Hernandez (No. 15) and Devin Mann (No. 28).

Barnett could be a player to watch. He won club’s the Paul Splittorff Pitcher of the Year Award after posting a 3.30 ERA across two minor-league levels. The Royals selected Barnett in the third round of the 2022 MLB Draft. Barnett led the organization with 137 strikeouts last season.

Tyler Tolbert is another player to monitor. He was the George Brett Hitter of the Year last season. Tolbert hit .276 with 10 home runs, 24 doubles, 10 triples and 50 RBIs during his stint with Double-A Northwest Arkansas.

Tolbert is a speedster and can play multiple positions. He stole 50 bases and led the Texas League in triples.

The Royals have been active in the trade market in recent years, and players such as Beck Way and CJ Alexander will look to impress with another opportunity. Way was acquired from the New York Yankees alongside Champlain in the Andrew Benintendi trade.

Alexander arrived from the Atlanta Braves in the Drew Waters trade. He hit 13 home runs in 86 games with Triple-A Omaha last year.

Here are the Royals’ 23 non-roster invitees:

Pitchers: Mason Barnett, Christian Chamberlain, Austin Cox, Walter Pennington, Chandler Champlain, Beck Way, Dan Altavilla, Luis Cessa, Tyler Duffey and Sam Long

Catchers: Carter Jensen, Logan Porter, Tyler Cropley, Luca Tresh and Rodolfo Duran

Infielders: Tyler Tolbert, Mike Brosseau, Cam Devanney, CJ Alexander and Devin Mann

Outfielders: Nate Eaton, Diego Hernandez and John Rave