Red Sox: 2018 Spring Training Non-Roster invitee snubs

The Boston Red Sox announced 16 non-roster invitees to Spring Training. While it’s hard to argue with most, there were some snubs that should be recognized.

Not long ago, the Boston Red Sox announced the 16 non-roster invitees to their Spring Training. A lot of those names were expected, and some were pleasant surprises. Nevertheless, there were still a few obvious snubs that don’t seem to be getting the recognition they deserve in the system.

There are multiple reasons these players should have been considered. It could be depth, to see what a player has left in the tank, or simply that they deserve it.

There are quite a few positions (and skill sets) that the Red Sox lack depth in. With that in mind, it was surprising to see some of those positions and skill sets get ignored when it came to the non-roster invitees.

When considering how much more a player can contribute at the Major League level, there’s really only one way to gauge the right answer. That would simply be to see him perform against MLB-talent. They can’t exactly do that in the minors, so a Spring Training invite would make sense.

Then there are the players that just deserve it. They’ve established themselves in the minors, and it’s their time to shine. When Spring Training comes around, they don’t get the call though. This isn’t something that’s specific just to the Red Sox, but they seem to have a case or two every year.

Mike Olt

The first name is someone who Boston might want to see what’s left from him. At one point, Mike Olt was a lauded prospect with insane power potential. In 135 regular season games (352 at-bats) he does have 16 home runs, but also a .168 batting average.

He hasn’t appeared in the Majors since 2015, but he showed some life in Double-A last season. With the Portland Sea Dogs, he slashed .245/.332/.436 with 23 doubles. His 57 runs batted in and 51 runs scored (as well as the 16 home runs) were all his best since the 2012 season.

After electing free agency in November, Olt signed a new deal with the Red Sox in December. He’s clearly on the team as nothing more than an emergency plan. The hope is that he can perform well enough in the minors that if something were to happen and Boston needed another bat on short notice, he’d be ready.

You would think that a team so short on power would be interested to see what someone with decent pop can bring to the table. No invite for the right-handed bat though.

While he’s probably not going to live up to the potential he once had, Olt still gives a little something. The 29-year-old plays both first and third base and there’s still some pop in his bat. Giving him a shot in Spring Training to see if there’s any juice left didn’t seem like a bad idea – at least to me.

Teddy Stankiewicz

The 24-year-old has had his problems in the minors, especially the last two seasons. Both in Double-A, his batting average against has been especially alarming. The numbers don’t tell the entire story though.

Over the last few years, Teddy Stankiewicz has had some truly dominant games. In those games, he shows why the Red Sox should believe in him. He has the ability to go deep into the games and has a great mixture of pitches to do it with. The right-hander doesn’t allow too many walks and limits home runs.

At the moment, the Red Sox have a surplus of starting pitching. Nevertheless, injuries happen (any Boston fan can attest to that). Due to that, there’s always a chance the Red Sox are down a few starters. When that happens, Boston will be scrambling for help, and Stankiewicz could be moving up the list.

With Stankiewicz moving closer to a Major League debut, it would be smart to give him some more hands-on experience against the talent he would face.

Last season, he was given 1/3 of an inning in Spring Training. With two years of Double-A under his belt, now seemed like the perfect time to give him some more. I’m not just saying that because I want to make Stankonia puns either (although I can’t act like I’d be upset about the chance).

Trey Ball

Trey Ball made the jump to Double-A last season after a fantastic 2016 in Advanced-A. The 2013 first-round draft pick has had some location problems, and last year they came back to bite him.

Although his walks were down (57 in 124 2/3 innings) his batting average against drastically rose to .322. Meanwhile, the left-hander had a walks plus hits per inning pitched (WHIP) of 1.75.

Just like for Stankiewicz though, numbers don’t tell the entire story. Oh, and there were flashes of brilliance for Ball last season too. This included two complete games, as well as three no-run performances

Although the 23-year-old’s numbers weren’t great, there were some clear improvements despite the higher competition. Such as fewer walks despite more innings, and more strikeouts as well. Not to mention, those two complete games were the firsts of his young career.

2018 will be a big year for the lefty. It could have a lot to do with shaping the future of the former first-round pick. Therefore, the Red Sox should want to keep a close eye on him. I don’t think they’ll be disappointed.

Ball improved immensely from year-one to year-two in Advanced-A. Then he made even more advances in his game despite moving up to Double-A. Don’t be surprised if he takes that next step again this year. It would’ve been a nice sign of confidence for the Red Sox to bring him to camp.

Josh Ockimey

Last season, Josh Ockimey not only steered clear of the dreaded second-half slump but did so while making the midseason-leap to Double-A.

Combined between Salem and Portland the left-handed hitter slashed .274/.385/.436 with a career-best 74 RBI and 68 runs scored. Meanwhile, he mashed two triples and 14 home runs, as well as a career-high 27 doubles.

Those numbers included a .272/.372/.427 slash line in 31 Double-A games.

Ockimey is part of an elite few when it comes to Red Sox prospects. He’s got raw power. That can be said about a select few others in the Boston farm system. The 22-year-old may not have had a breakout year when it comes to power, but it’s coming. The ball tends to get absolutely crushed off his bat.

Ockimey has improved defensively as well. While he’s still not spectacular at first base, he’s got the potential to be more than just a designated hitter now.

With Nick Longhi out of the system, there’s a new pecking order of Red Sox first base prospects. Personally, I had Longhi as the best (easily the most well-rounded). Now it’s Sam Travis and Ockimey leading the pack though. Travis gives you a more complete hitter than Ockimey, but Ockimey brings the much-needed power.

With that in mind, the Red Sox may want to begin the process of fast-tracking the Philadelphia native if power continues to be a problem.

After making the jump to Double-A and not stumbling, the most logical next step seemed to be a trip to Fort Myers. That way he could get a small taste before attempting to take another leap in 2018.

Dedgar Jimenez

Baby Bartolo! I love watching this guy pitch. He’s one of those pitchers with a simple game that just seems to know how to work the mound and the plate.

Despite that, Dedgar Jimenez has been constantly overlooked and even criticized over the years. The 21-year-old shut everyone up in 2017 though. He posted a 3.02 earned run average between Advanced-A and Double-A.

The right-handed pitcher posted a 1.25 WHIP while opponents hit .257 against him. He also only walked 41 players in 146 innings. This all accumulated to an absurd 15-3 record.

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He doesn’t have the “ideal” frame and doesn’t possess any frighteningly dominant pitches. Those are the clear reason why people didn’t seem to believe in him. Jimenez does have great command of all his pitches though, which makes him extremely dangerous. He can go to any of his pitches when needed, and that variety helped him all 2017.

Jimenez followed up a fantastic first year in the Red Sox farm system in 2013 with another strong showing in 2014. 2015 and 2016 were hiccups for the intriguing prospect, but last season was the obvious click moment. Everything seemed to come together and the Venezuela native found his stride.

2018 could be another major step for the fast-rising Jimenez, and Spring Training should’ve been the appetizer.