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The Cleveland Indians have announced four internal minor league players will be receiving non-roster invites to Spring Training next month. Infielders Todd Hankins and Eric Stamets and pitchers Adam Plutko and Will Roberts will be added to the growing list of minor league invitees who will fight for a spot on the major league roster out of Spring Training.
Adam Plutko is the first name that sticks out on this list as he is one of the top Indians prospects heading into 2016. The Let’s Go Tribe community voted him as the No. 9 Tribe prospect earlier this month, and many scouts think he could debut as early as 2016. With this invite to Spring Training, Plutko will have the ability to win a spot outright in the starting rotation. Plutko made it as far as Double-A last year where he put up a 2.86 ERA and 3.37 FIP in 116.1 innings of work.
Second baseman Todd Hankins was among the Indians prospects who spent time in the Arizona Fall League in November. There he hit for a .246/.408/.333 slash while drawing walks in 17 of his 76 plate appearances.
The Indians acquired Eric Stamets at the trade deadline last season when they sent David Murphy to the Los Angeles Angels. He hit for a poor .197/.252/.248 slash in his half-season playing for the Double-A Akron Rubberducks.
With the addition of Hankins, Stamets, Plutko, and Roberts the total number of non-roster Spring Training invitees is up to 17. The full list of NRI can be seen below, courtesy of Jordan Bastian:
- Pitchers: Joba Chamberlain, Joe Colon, Ross Detwiler, Tom Gorzelanny, Jarrett Grube, Felipe Paulino, Adam Plutko, Will Roberts, Joe Thatcher
- Catchers: Adam Moore, Anthony Recker
- Infielders: Todd Hankins, Michael Martinez, Eric Stamets
- Outfielders: Michael Choice, Robbie Grossman, Shane Robinson
Indians pitchers and catchers report on February 17 and the rest of the team reports four days later on February 21 with full team workouts starting on the 22nd. We are in the home stretch of the offseason!