Jeff Baker, Marlon Byrd, LaTroy Hawkins and Scott Kazmir each took advantage of spring training invites in 2013, earning a spot on the Opening Day roster of their respective teams and following up with strong seasons.
Rookies Jose Fernandez, Evan Gattis and Jedd Gyorko, each spring training invitees without a day of big league service time, were seemingly ticketed for the minors where they could continue to develop and save their teams some money in the future by remaining there for the first couple of months of the season. They forced their respective club’s hand, however, and broke camp with the big league club before making a significant impact during the regular season.
So who will be this year’s version of the aforementioned group of players? Here are 10 to keep an eye on.