Today the Mariners announced they’ve invited 32 players to their 2023 Spring Training. Every year, teams invite a group of players not on their 40-man rosters (NRIs, or non-roster invites) to their spring training camps. NRIs are often long-term minor-leaguers getting a crack in a new system, or MLB vets who didn’t sign a big-league free agent contract looking to catch on with a new team; at the other end of the spectrum, they can also be non-40-man prospects being given a test drive against tougher competition to help the team make decisions about placement for next season.
While admittedly the less-glamorous side of spring training and baseball’s imminent return, there are usually players in the NRI group worth paying attention to; last year, big-club mainstays George Kirby, Matt Festa, and Sam Haggerty were all NRIs.