Clarke among Oakland A's non-roster spring invitees
Toronto Mets and Junior National Team alum Denzel Clarke (Pickering, Ont.) is among the non-roster invitees to the Oakland A’s major league spring training camp.
December 21, 2022
Official Oakland A’s News Release
OAKLAND, Calif. — The Oakland A’s announced 24 non-roster invitees for 2023 Spring Training today.
The list includes nine free agents signed to minor league contracts and 15 internal players.
The A’s also announced that Vimael Machín has elected free agency in lieu of an outright assignment and that former A’s catcher Ramon Hernandez has been hired as the A’s Major League Staff Assistant/Interpreter.
The list of free agents includes left-handed pitchers Jake Fishman and Garrett Williams, right-handed pitchers Jasseel De La Cruz and Rico Garcia, catcher Yohel Pozo, infielders Kevin Cron, Pablo Reyes and Tyler Wade and outfielder Trenton Brooks.
De La Cruz pitched for three different teams in the Atlanta farm system in 2022 and combined for a 1-3 record and a 7.18 ERA in 20 games, including five starts, with the GCL Braves, Double-A Mississippi and Triple-A Gwinnett.
Fishman spent most of the season at Triple-A Jacksonville where he went 4-1 with a 2.25 ERA and .194 opponents batting average in 33 relief appearances. He also made his Major League debut with Miami, logging a 4.09 ERA in seven relief appearances.
Garcia was a combined 4-1 with three saves, a 1.99 ERA and .188 opponents batting average in 24 games, including three starts, with three different teams in the Baltimore farm system. He also compiled a 4.50 ERA in six relief appearances with Baltimore and is 1-2 with a 6.38 ERA in 20 games, including one start, in three seasons with the Rockies (2019), Giants (2020) and Orioles (2022).
Williams split the year between Double-A Springfield and Triple-A Memphis in the Cardinals organization and was 1-0 with a 5.73 ERA in 28 games, including 15 starts. He struck out 101 in 77.0 innings.
Brooks played at Triple-A Columbus in the Cleveland organization last season and hit .273 with 11 home runs, 48 RBI and an .831 OPS in 87 games.
Cron is the son of A’s assistant hitting coach Chris Cron and spent 2022 with the SSG Landers in the Korean Baseball Organization where he hit .222 with 11 home runs and 35 RBI in 67 games. He also has a .171 average in 47 games in two seasons in the majors with Arizona from 2019-20.
Pozo batted .320 with 21 doubles, six home runs and 38 RBI in 65 games with Triple-A Round Rock in the Rangers organization. He made his Major League debut with the Rangers in 2021 and batted .284 in 21 games.
Reyes spent most of last year at Triple-A Nashville, hitting .273 with 11 home runs, 59 RBI and 15 stolen bases in 99 games. He also went 4-for-15 in six games with Milwaukee and is a .238 hitter with six home runs and 29 RBI in 148 games in four big league seasons with the Pirates (2018-19) and Brewers (2021-22).
Wade hit .218 with a home run and eight RBI in 67 games with Los Angeles (AL) last year and has a .214 average with seven home runs and 41 RBI in 214 games in six seasons with the Yankees (2017-21) and Angels (22).
The remaining 15 invitees include right-handed pitchers J.T. Ginn, Deolis Guerra, Daulton Jefferies, Mason Miller, Norge Ruiz and Trey Supak, catchers Kyle McCann, Tyler Soderstrom and Daniel Susac, infielders Ernie Clement, Logan Davidson, Zack Gelof and Max Muncy and outfielders Denzel Clarke and Cody Thomas.
Ginn was acquired from the Mets in the Chris Bassitt trade and combined for a 1-4 record and a 5.10 ERA in 12 starts with the A’s affiliate in the ACL and Double-A Midland.
Guerra missed the entire 2022 season following “Tommy John” surgery and
Jefferies went 1-7 with a 5.72 ERA in eight starts with the A’s before undergoing thoracic outlet surgery in June and “Tommy John” surgery in September.
Miller was the A’s third round pick in the 2021 draft and was 0-2 with a 3.86 ERA in six starts with the ACL A’s, High-A Lansing and Triple-A Las Vegas after missing most of the season with a strained right rotator cuff.
Ruiz made his Major League debut with the A’s in 2022 and logged a 7.11 ERA in 14 relief appearances. He also went 5-1 with two saves and a 3.73 ERA in 31 relief appearances with Las Vegas.
Supak pitched in four games last year in his comeback from “Tommy John” surgery.
Clarke was the A’s fourth round pick in the 2021 draft and hit .248 with 15 home runs, 47 RBI, 30 stolen bases and a .834 OPS between Single-A Stockton and Lansing last year.
Clement was claimed off waivers from Cleveland in September and went 1-for-18 (.065) in six games with the A’s after batting .200 in 63 games over two stints with the Guardians.
Davidson was the A’s first round pick in 2019 and hit .252 with 14 home runs, 56 RBI and a .743 OPS in 111 games with Midland.
Gelof is rated as the A’s third best prospect by MLB.com after batting .270 with 18 home runs, 66 RBI and an .815 OPS in 96 games with Midland and Las Vegas.
McCann spent most of the season with Midland but also made his Triple-A debut with seven games with Las Vegas and combined for a .234 average, 21 home runs, 66 RBI and a .782 OPS in 105 games.
Muncy was the A’s first round pick in 2021, is the A’s eight ranked prospect according to MLB.com and batted .229 with 19 home runs, 70 RBI, 19 stolen bases and a .758 OPS in 123 games with Stockton and Lansing.
Soderstrom was the A’s first round pick in 2020, is the A’s top ranked prospect by MLB.com and had a .267 average, 29 home runs and 105 RBI in 13 games with Lansing, Midland and Las Vegas.
Susac was the A’s first round draft pick this year, is listed as the A’s fourth best prospect by MLB.com and hit .298 with a home run, 15 RBI and a .758 OPS in 27 games in his professional debut with the ACL A’s and Stockton.
Thomas missed the first four months of the 2022 season following surgery on his Achilles tendon but went 8-for-30 (.267) with no extra base hits, no RBI and a .579 OPS in 10 games with Oakland in his ML debut in September.