to spring training for the D-backs"As well as the entire 40-man roster Ryan Zimmerman Jersey , the Arizona Diamondbacks have invited twenty other players to spring training at Salt River Fields next month. These are a mixture of up and coming prospect and crafty veterans: some will be familiar, but others, not so much. Whle you should be aware of most names on the 40-man roster [though I’m still not sure what a Robbie Scott is, or why we have one...], we’ve had a regular feature as we approach spring of going through the non-roster invitees. Forewarned is forearmed, and this is that week, starting with some of the pitchers you’ll be seeing reporting to Scottsdale in little more than a fortnight. Ryan AtkinsonOne of our independent ball finds, Atkinson went undrafted in 2015 out of the University of Cincinnati, though given a 4.82 ERA in his senior year there, that isn’t too surprising. He then gave up professional ball entirely for a bit, working in their Medical Center as a patient services manager. However, the bug was merely dormant, and a year later he signed with the Evansville Otters of the Frontier League (the same league which also gave us Clay Zavada). His time there was short, striking out eight over 5.2 innings of one-hit ball before the Diamondbacks brought him back into the major-league pipeline. It was his 2017 that got Ryan back on the radar, as he had 167 strikeouts over 141.2 IP at three levels, the most K’s by any D-backs prospect for the season. That got him his first spring invite, though his follow-up season proved rather rougher. In twenty starts for Double-A Jackson, Atkinson had a 5.25 ERA, and ended the season in the bullpen. The results there were better: a 1.38 ERA over 13 innings, though if he’s to progress further he needs to get the walk-rate down. Last year, Ryan walked 58 batters and hit eight more in 109 total innings, though the K’s were still there at 123. He turns 26 in May http://www.nationalsfanproshop.com/authentic-matt-adams-jersey , so this season could well prove pivotal as to whether he follows Zavada all the way back to the majors.Stefan CrichtonCrichton’s path to spring training was rather more conventional, if injury plagued. Drafted by the Orioles in the 23rd round of the 2013 draft, he was sent to Arizona last April for cash considerations. He had a rough go in his major-league debut with the Orioles in 2017, his ERA being above eight. Crichton fared worse still out of the Aces’ bullpen last year, with a 10.13 ERA before going on the DL on May 19 with shoulder inflammation. He was eventually released in June, but was re-signed four days later, and eventually activated off the DL at the end of September. He’ll need to prove his health first. then try to live up to Mike Hazen’s comments at the time of his acquisition:Rubby De La RosaI must confess, I’d almost forgotten about De La Rosa, given he last appeared at any level, pitching for Reno in August 2017. Rubby underwent his second Tommy John procedure on August 22nd that year (his first being back in 2011, when with the Dodgers), but was re-signed to a two-year minor league deal the following month. For 2019, that’s a heavily incentive-laden contract which gives him $750K if he makes the majors, plus up to $2.75 million in bonuses, as well as an early-season opt-out if he doesn’t make the roster. After two TJ procedures, it’s a longer shot, though even getting this invite suggests the recovery is going well enough to this point. Fun fact. He led the Diamondbacks in wins for the 2015 season, with more victories (14) than Robbie Ray and Patrick Corbin combined for (11), over their 39 starts. Seems so long ago now...Jon DuplantierGenerally regarded as the team’s top prospect going into the 2018 season, he was the organization’s Pitcher of the Year for 2017, and made the top #100 overall lists for Baseball America, Baseball Prospectus and MLB.com. There was some thought he might make his major-league debut last year. but those hopes likely ended when Jon missed close to two months with right bicep tendinitis Bryce Harper Jersey , extending an unfortunate history of arm issues (partly explaining why he dropped to the third round of the 2016 draft). That and a balky hamstring limited him to just 74 innings in 2018, though Duplantier got some of those back in the Arizona Fall League, where he threw 21.2 frames, with 32 strikeouts and an ERA of 3.32. Jack watched the prospect there, and came away “very impressed,” though even at that point doubted Duplantier would be in the 2019 Opening Day rotation. The subsequent arrival of Merrill Kelly and Luke Weaver have likely pushed Jon down the depth chart, and the rise of Jazz Chisholm has knocked him of the #1 prospect throne. But if he stays fit, Duplantier should likely receive consideration when the team needs a replacement starter, as they almost inevitably will. As John Sickels wrote in August, “little question about his talent but durability still a significant question.” Dick and Charlie Monfort are closer to model owners than the cheap owner stereotype"WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections Scaling the RocksPebble ReportRockpileRockies Game ThreadsRockies Fan ExperienceRockies State of the PositionRockies fans have less and less to complain about with team ownershipNew,45commentsDick and Charlie Monfort are closer to model owners than the cheap owner stereotypeMSTShareTweetShareShareRockies fans have less and less to complain about with team ownershipIt’s been a slow offseason. Prognosticators are saying that the free agent market that has handed out $1.251 billion dollars worth of contracts over 87 years (resulting in a lower raw total than projected but a higher average annual value) will result in the players going on strike when the collective bargaining agreement expires after the 2021 season. From perspective of public perception, it’s not a good time to be an owner (and it may be immoral to side with them, apparently).Well, unless you’re talking about the Colorado Rockies. In fact, if you’re a fan of the Rockies, you’re rapidly running out of things about which to complain as it relates to ownership. For the longest time, everyone had an opinion on Rockies owners Dick and Charlie Monfort, and thanks to some non-competitive teams, some alleged meddling with the on-field product, and some unfortunate emails, very few of those opinions were positive. Now that the team is experiencing a sort of golden age, it’s passed time to reevaluate our opinion of the Monforts.One thing that the Monforts have understood better than most is that they aren’t just selling an on-field product Stephen Strasburg Jersey , but an in-stadium experience as well. For all of the completely hilarious Party Deck jokes, Coors Field was among the first stadiums in the league to feature such an area that can now be found the league. Last season the scoreboard in left field got a much-needed upgrade. And construction on a “mixed-entertainment district” in the former West Lot near the stadium began in the fall, promising, among other things, a Rockies Hall of Fame. The Monforts have always done what it takes to keep Coors Field one of the crown jewels of Major League Baseball (unlike some owners who look at an 18-year-old stadium and decide to move to the ‘burbs).They haven’t been content to just spend money on the stadium. Since bottoming out at $73.9 million in 2013, the Opening Day payroll has set record highs each of the past five years, with this year’s projected $143 million projected to set another record. As young players have developed, the team has shown a willingness to supplement the homegrown talent with free agent contracts. They haven’t gone on a Steinbrenner-esque spree by any means, but they have run a payroll above league average for two years now and were one of a handful of teams to devote more than half their revenue to the on-field product. Not bad for a team with the 17th biggest US media market in MLB.What has set the Rockies apart is not the money they spend to bring in players, but the money they spend to keep the players fans love most. In 2001, they signed Todd Helton to a nine-year extension that was the fourth biggest contract in baseball at the time. Nine years later, they signed Troy Tulowitzki to a seven-year extension, which was the eighth biggest in baseball at the time, and gave Carlos Gonzalez a seven-year deal of his own. Last season they gave fan favorite and reigning batting champ Charlie Blackmon a six-year extension. And, of course, everyone is still basking in the glow of inking Nolan Arenado to an eight-year extension just this week, the richest by average annual value in baseball history. As Jeff Bridich said at the press conference announcing Nolan’s extension,That kind of culture of commitment can only happen when you have the support of an ownership group.Oh, and the team has averaged 88 wins over the last two years, so all of these positives have also been accompanied by winning baseball.So we have owners who spend money to create a memorable in-stadium experience and are willing to bring in free agents to supplement a roster built around home-grown talent, which has historically included signing the best and most beloved players on the team to long-term extensions to keep them in purple pinstripes.It’s understandable if the ownership lost your trust in the down years. But it’s high time to recognize that the Monforts are among the best owners in baseball.