Red Sox Announce Seven Non-Roster Invitees to Spring Training

[Nick John]

The Boston Red Sox have begun to add to their spring training roster, naming seven non-roster invitees. While most names on the list are of no surprise, it also doesn’t close the book on other players being added as a non-roster invitee the closer we get to the team reporting to Fort Myers.

The group of seven are made up of catcher Jason Delay, infielder Vinny Capra, right-handed pitchers Osvaldo Berrios, Hobie Harris, and Devin Sweet and left-handed pitchers Alec Gamboa and T.J. Sikkema. Among the seven players announced, six of them signed minor-league deals with the Red Sox across the offseason while the seventh (Harris) re-signed with the Red Sox on a minor-league contract back at the end of September. While non-roster invitees may not seem all too exciting, they help create competition in camp for the final few roster spots, along with exciting storylines. And, sometimes, they may even break camp with the team. Last season, the team saw non-roster invitees Kristian Campbell and Sean Newcomb make the team, while the likes of Trayce Thompson, Matt Moore, and Adam Ottavino created discussion pertaining to the back end of the roster.

Overall, the group is comprised of veterans who have either limited experience in the majors or have spent several seasons in the minors as they attempt to showcase why they should be in the major leagues. Of the seven, four have some time spent on a major-league roster.

Sikkema, a left-handed pitcher, signed with the Red Sox shortly before the announcement. Now 27 years old, he was a former first-round pick by the Yankees back in 2019 (39th overall). Last season, he split time in the Cincinnati Reds’ organization as he played for both Double-A Chattanooga and Triple-A Louisville.

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[moonslav59]

We never expected Newcomb to make the opening day roster in 2025, but I expect non of these guys will.

[mvp 78]

7 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

We never expected Newcomb to make the opening day roster in 2025, but I expect non of these guys will.

At least Newcomb had an MLB pedigree. These guys are a whole lot of AAA depth. Uninteresting group.

[moonslav59]

6 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

At least Newcomb had an MLB pedigree. These guys are a whole lot of AAA depth. Uninteresting group.

We shoulda kept Newcomb and watched him do great in the pen.

[mvp 78]

14 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

We shoulda kept Newcomb and watched him do great in the pen.

His ERA definitely outpaced the expectations, but it was weird that they dumped him so quickly when it looked like he was outpitching a few other guys on the active roster. 

[JoeBrady]

2 hours ago, mvp 78 said:

His ERA definitely outpaced the expectations, but it was weird that they dumped him so quickly when it looked like he was outpitching a few other guys on the active roster. 

I didn't understand that move at all.