fox-news/sports/mlb/arizona-diamondbacks

Spring training features several veterans in new places hoping to be in the majors on Opening Day

The 2020 Major League Baseball season is right around the corner, and there was a lot of offseason shuffle that fell behind the glitz and glamour contracts of Gerrit Cole and Stephen Strasburg.

Several major league veterans received non-roster invitations to spring training camps in hopes of latching onto a 25-man roster for Opening Day.

Here is a list of familiar names who received non-roster invitations prior to the start of spring training. Some players are on new teams and others are hoping to just get on one and stay in the show.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

BILLY HAMILTON, GIANTS

Billy Hamilton is looking to make the Giants. (AP Photo/John Amis)

Billy Hamilton was once a highly touted speedster with the Cincinnati Reds, but in 2020 he has found himself with a non-roster invitation to San Francisco Giants spring training. He played 119 games between the Kansas City Royals and Atlanta Braves last season, batting .218 with 15 RBI, 22 stolen bases and a .564 OPS.

BRANDON MORROW, CUBS

Brandon Morrow is a 12-year major league veteran but didn’t pitch in the majors in 2019. In spring training this year, he is looking to get back to the show with the Chicago Cubs. He last pitched for the Cubs in 2018, recording a 1.47 ERA in 35 games. He battled elbow issues last season.

YANKEES’ LUIS SEVERINO HAS SORE RIGHT FOREARM, SHUT DOWN

CHARLIE CULBERSON, BRAVES

Charlie Culberson is looking to get back with the Atlanta Braves. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

Charlie Culberson has played with the Atlanta Braves for the last two seasons and is looking to stay with the team for a third year. He received a non-roster invitation to spring training after hitting .259 with five home runs and 20 RBI in 2019.

CHRIS IANNETTA, YANKEES

Chris Iannetta is not going to be the New York Yankees’ starting catcher unless some injuries occur. But he is a familiar veteran who is looking to stay in the majors. Last season with the Colorado Rockies, he hit .222 with six home runs.

CHRIS OWINGS, ROCKIES

Chris Owings played a majority of his career with the Arizona Diamondbacks but played for the Kansas City Royals and Boston Red Sox last season. He hit .139 with three homers last season. He is looking to latch onto the Colorado Rockies for 2020.

CROWD-SEEKING RAYS COME UP WITH WIN-WIN-WIN FREE TICKET PLAN

CODY ALLEN, RANGERS

At one point in his career, Cody Allen was a feared closer. In 2020, he received a non-roster invite to the Texas Rangers spring training. He fell off last season with the Los Angeles Angels recording a 6.26 ERA in 25 appearances.

DEREK DIETRICH, REDS

Cincinnati Reds’ Derek Dietrich had a bit of a breakout season in 2019. (AP Photo/Gary Landers)

Derek Dietrich had a breakout season with the Cincinnati Reds in 2019, hitting 19 home runs. However, he will still have to earn a roster spot after batting .187 in 113 games.

DEREK HOLLAND, PIRATES

Veteran pitcher Derek Holland finds himself at Pittsburgh Pirates camp this spring. He pitched for the San Francisco Giants and Chicago Cubs last season. He recorded a 6.08 ERA in 51 appearances.

EMILIO BONIFACIO, NATIONALS

Emilion Bonifacio could play almost anywhere on the field, which is why he is still a valuable asset heading into another major league season. He has not played in the majors since 2017. Last year at Triple-A Durham, he hit .286 with eight home runs. He will try to make the Washington Nationals‘ roster this spring.

ASTROS NAME BARRED BY LITTLE LEAGUES NEAR WILLIAMSPORT

FELIX HERNANDEZ, BRAVES

Felix Hernandez spent most of his career with the Seattle Mariners. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

The last time anyone saw Felix Hernandez he was stepping off the mound at T-Mobile Park to a roaring ovation in what was thought to have been his last major league game with the Seattle Mariners in 2019. Instead, he is trying to get a roster spot with the Atlanta Braves in 2020. The one-time Cy Young winner had a 6.40 ERA in 15 starts last season and had 57 strikeouts.

FRANCISCO LIRIANO, PHILLIES

Francisco Liriano has pitched for four different teams over the last three years and is trying to get with his fifth in four years. Liriano is in Philadelphia Phillies camp after recorded a 3.47 ERA and 63 strikeouts in 69 games in 2019.

GREG BIRD, RANGERS

Greg Bird went from MLB postseason hero with the New York Yankees to teamless. He latched onto the Texas Rangers for 2020 looking to earn a spot. Injuries have cost him a big part of his playing career. In 186 career games, he has a .211 batting average and 32 home runs.

GREG HOLLAND, ROYALS

Greg Holland is in his second stint with the Kansas City Royals, this time as a non-roster invitee. A once-promising reliever, Holland recorded 4.54 ERA in 40 appearances with 41 strikeouts with the Arizona Diamondbacks last year.

JASON KIPNIS, CUBS

It will be strange seeing Jason Kipnis in a different uniform in 2020 should he make the Cubs’ roster. Kipnis spent his first nine seasons with the Cleveland Indians. Last year, he hit .245 with 17 home runs.

JHOULYS CHACIN, TWINS

Jhoulys Chacin is one of the few veterans who could make the Minnesota Twins’ young roster this spring. Last year, he played for the Milwaukee Brewers and Boston Red Sox and recorded a 6.01 ERA in 25 games.

LEBRON JAMES CALLS ON MLB’S ROB MANFRED TO LISTEN TO PLAYERS OUTRAGED OVER CHEATING SCANDAL

JONATHAN LUCROY, RED SOX

Jonathan Lucroy was a premier catcher in the majors. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Jonathan Lucroy could become the Boston Red Sox’s catcher in 2020. He played for the Los Angeles Angels and Chicago Cubs last season. He batted .232 with eight home runs.

JUAN LAGARES, PADRES

Juan Lagares was once a young, promising outfielder for the New York Mets, but the one-time Gold Glove winner is vying for a roster spot with the San Diego Padres. He hit .213 with five home runs in 133 games.

LOGAN MORRISON, BREWERS

Logan Morrison is looking to get on his fourth team in four years with the Milwaukee Brewers. He only played 29 games with the Philadelphia Phillies last season and batted .200 with a .663 OPS.

MATT KEMP, MARLINS

Matt Kemp had a resurgence in 2018 with the Los Angeles Dodgers. (Photo by Denis Poroy/Getty Images)

Matt Kemp could add a veteran presence on the Miami Marlins should he make the 25-man roster this spring. Kemp played in 20 games for the Cincinnati Reds after an All-Star resurgence in 2018. He hit .200 in 20 games in 2019.

NEIL WALKER, PHILLIES

Neil Walker was given a non-roster invite by the Philadelphia Phillies. He played in 115 games with the Marlins in 2019. He hit .261 with eight home runs.

BREWERS OWNER CLAIMS TEAM ‘HAD AN OPERATING LOSS’ IN 2019

PABLO SANDOVAL, GIANTS

Pablo Sandoval appeared in 108 games with the San Francisco Giants in 2019 and still finds himself vying for a roster spot in 2020. He hit .268 with 14 home runs.

ROSS DETWILER, WHITE SOX

Ross Detwiler is looking to make an impact with the Chicago White Sox in 2019. He received a non-roster invite after 18 appearances and a 6.59 ERA last season.

RUSNEY CASTILLO, RED SOX

Rusney Castillo was a high-profile Cuban signee in 2014. Castillo has only appeared in 99 games with the Red Sox and last played in 2016. The now 32-year-old outfielder is looking to make a crowded major league roster.

SHELBY MILLER, BREWERS

Shelby Miller was once a high-profile free-agent signing. But in 2020, he has a non-roster invite to Milwaukee Brewers camp. He had a 8.59 ERA in 19 games with 30 strikeouts.

TIM TEBOW, METS

Tim Tebow is finally looking to crack the Mets’ 25-man roster.
(Rich Schultz/Getty Images)

Could Tim Tebow make the major league roster this time around? It’s unlikely, but he is at the New York Mets spring training camp. He has had injury-plagued minor league seasons, and this might be his last chance to get a shot at the majors.

AARON JUDGE: ASTROS SHOULD BE STRIPPED OF 2017 TITLE, PLAYERS PUNISHED BY COMMISSIONER

TREVOR CAHILL, GIANTS

Trevor Cahill, a one-time All-Star pitcher, stayed on the West Coast when he joined the San Francisco Giants but will not have to prove himself to stay there. He had a 5.98 ERA in 37 games last season with the Angels.

TREVOR ROSENTHAL, ROYALS

Trevor Rosenthal was an All-Star reliever early in his career but his numbers have dipped since 2015. He played with the Washington Nationals and Detroit Tigers in 2019. He had a 13.50 ERA in 22 games. He will try to land a roster spot with the Royals.

UBALDO JIMENEZ, ROCKIES

Ubaldo Jimenez has not pitched in the majors since 2017 and is looking to latch onto the team where it all began for him in 2006. Jimenez is back in Colorado Rockies camp trying to make the roster for Opening Day.

WADE LEBLANC, ORIOLES

Veteran left-handed pitcher Wade LeBlanc is in Baltimore Orioles camp looking to get a roster spot. He had a 5.71 ERA in 26 games for the Seattle Mariners last season.

WELINGTON CASTILLO, NATIONALS

Welington Castillo spent two seasons with the Chicago White Sox and is trying to get onto the roster of the World Series-champion Nationals. He had a .209 batting average with 12 home runs in 72 games last season.

SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS SNUB AUBREY HUFF FROM WORLD SERIES REUNION OVER SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS

YASMANY THOMAS, DIAMONDBACKS

Yasmany Thomas was another big Cuban signee for the Arizona Diamondbacks but has failed to stick with the team. He has played in 309 games, hit 48 home runs and batted .266. He is in Diamondbacks camp on a non-roster invitation.

Diamondbacks acquire OF Starling Marte from Pirates

When the Arizona Diamondbacks landed ace Madison Bumgarner in free agency last month, the three-time World Series winner made a surprising offer, one that came with a very urgent catch.

Bumgarner told the Diamondbacks they could defer some of the money on his five-year deal if they promised to spend the up-front savings on making the club better in 2020.

Arizona followed through Monday, acquiring two-time Gold Glove outfielder Starling Marte from the Pittsburgh Pirates.

“He fits a lot of what we’re trying to do,” Diamondbacks general manager Mike Hazen.

Including free up Ketel Marte — no relation to Starling Marte — to move to second base on a semi-permanent basis. Ketel Marte split time between the center field and second last year while making the All-Star team for the first time and finishing fourth in NL MVP balloting. Hazen said he likes the chemistry Ketel Marte developed with shortstop Nick Ahmed, and Starling Marte’s arrival should let that relationship flourish.

“We feel like he’s a Gold Glove second baseman,” Hazen said.

An honor Starling Marte won twice during his eight years with the Pirates. His arrival in the majors in 2012 served as one of the final building blocks that pushed the team to three straight playoff berths from 2013-15. His go-ahead home run in the ninth inning against the Chicago Cubs on Sept. 23, 2013 pushed Pittsburgh to the postseason for the first time in more than two decades, and his blend of speed, athleticism and one of the strongest outfield arms in the game made him a natural fit at spacious PNC Park.

Though the Pirates have fallen well off the pace in the NL Central over the last four years, Marte has been one of the few bright spots. The 31-year-old hit .295 in 2019, setting career highs with 23 home runs and 82 RBIs. It wasn’t nearly enough, however, to help Pittsburgh avoid finishing dead last in the division, a plummet that led to a massive leadership overhaul.

New Pirates general manager Ben Cherington reached out to Hazen — the two previously worked together in Boston — shortly after taking over last October. Talks broke off over the holidays but picked back up this month, with Arizona receiving Marte as well as $1.5 million from the Pirates due on Sept. 15. In return, the Diamondbacks sent shortstop Liover Peguero and pitcher Brendan Malone — both 19-year-old prospects — to Pittsburgh.

“It was painful giving up the players we did ultimately give up,” Hazen said. “We just felt like we have a duty to both the present and the future and we felt like we were going to have to give something good up in order to get a good major league player.”

The Diamondbacks selected Malone with the 33rd overall pick in the draft last season and signed him for a bonus of $2,202,200. The hard-throwing right-hander was considered one of the top prospects in the Arizona system. Malone went 1-2 with a 4.50 ERA in seven appearances in Class A.

Peguero signed in August 2017 for $475,000 and hit .326 (74 for 227) with 11 doubles, five triples, five home runs and 38 RBIs in 60 games in the low minors last season. Both players figure to rank among the Pirates’ top 10 prospects.

Cherington shot down the notion the Pirates are rebuilding, saying “that’s not how we are thinking about it.”

Marte became expendable due in part to Bryan Reynolds’ outstanding rookie season in 2019 and the expected return of Gregory Polanco, who was limited to 42 games last season due to a lingering left shoulder issue. Still, Pittsburgh will head to spring training without making any significant additions to a group that went 25-48 in the second half last year.

Both Brennan and Peguero are considered to be quality prospects but are years away from having a stall in the major league clubhouse.

Marte is scheduled to make $11.5 million this year and his contract includes a $12.5 million team option for 2021 with a $1 million buyout. He figured he would be on the move over the winter but grew anxious as spring training neared.

“I’m feeling really good, especially because now the uncertainty of not knowing where I was going to be is over,” Marte said through a translator. “I’m happy to be with the Arizona Diamondbacks situation and I’m looking forward to get going.”

The Diamondbacks finished a distant second to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West last season. Bringing in Bumgarner and Marte gives them two proven veterans. Hazen said the heavy lifting in improving the major league roster is probably done and feels he has a group that can chase down the Dodgers.

“We are definitely up for the challenge and we look forward to it,” Hazen said.