3 Royals veteran non-roster invitees who are turning heads in spring training

Is there a greater lottery ticket than the all-too-common minor-league contract with an invite to spring training?

These players are often MLB veterans years removed from their prime earning seasons, or even their playing peak. It can be hard to convince teams that a player still has future value, even across a single season, when that has not shown up in MLB action for some time in certain cases.

Pitcher Sam Long is a good example of this, an Athletics arm with ugly career numbers who looked more like a player to discuss in the past tense than the present. But the Royals added the southpaw on a minor-league deal, and he eventually carved out a solid big-league workload, even if it did not end as strongly as it started.

Every MLB team is going to have a handful of these players in camp each spring. Most wind up in Triple-A within a month, whether with that club or another one, but some stand out enough to earn another chance. Like the lottery, going from non-roster invitee to breaking camp with the big-league club is not wise to bet on, but it absolutely happens.

The Royals’ crop of non-roster invitees still faces long odds to make the Opening Day roster, but these three veterans are standing out from the crowd.

Could the Royals have a major league standout among their non-roster invitees this spring?

Elias Díaz - Catcher

The Royals’ catching situation is about as solid as it gets right now. Team captain Salvador Perez and top prospect Carter Jensen will likely handle most of the innings for Kansas City, but what about the third catcher in the organization?

Freddy Fermin is not walking out of the Omaha dugout anytime soon, and there is a wide gap between the majors and Kansas City’s other catching prospects. While Luca Tresh seems like a natural fit for that third catcher role, the Royals are keeping their options open, signing former All-Star Elias Díaz to a minor-league deal earlier this winter.

The Venezuelan had his best years with the Colorado Rockies and is only a few seasons removed from his 2023 All-Star nod. His time with the San Diego Padres did not go according to plan and was largely forgettable.

Few teams are lining up to sign a below-average offensive catcher on the wrong side of 35, but the Royals are giving Díaz a look this spring. So far, he is making the most of his limited opportunities.

Díaz has appeared in only three games this spring, all coming in March. Still, he has looked competent behind the plate and has turned into a singles machine. In his seven at-bats, he has six hits, all of them singles.

It is not flashy, but Díaz is still hitting the ball hard for this point in camp. He remains a very long shot to make the roster and may eventually land somewhere with a more favorable depth chart, but so far, so good for Díaz this spring.

Josh Rojas - Infielder

Utility man Michael Massey has been crushing Cactus League pitching so far this spring. The left-handed hitter is sparking some optimism thanks to his .962 OPS in eight appearances.

If that were not the case, Royals fans might be looking even more seriously at non-roster invitee Josh Rojas as a bench option heading into Opening Day. The Royals got a close look at Rojas during his 2025 stint with the Chicago White Sox, but his abysmal season hardly made him a hot free agent commodity this offseason.

Still, Kansas City brought him in to see whether last year was an outlier, and this club is always going to have interest in a left-handed hitter who can move around the field.

Rojas is having the best spring training of his MLB career, with two home runs and a .300/.391/.750 line through nine games. He is making solid contact as well, carrying a 90.5 percent zone-contact rate this spring.

Baseball Reference’s opponent quality measurement also shows that Rojas is facing a level of competition similar to what the Royals’ regulars are seeing in Arizona, which adds a little more credibility to what he has done so far.

The Royals’ bench feels fairly solid right now, with Massey, Starling Marte, and Lane Thomas all factoring into that picture. Rojas should be in the conversation for that presumptive fourth and final spot, but his baserunning limitations could keep him on the outside looking in.

Still, if the Royals want a left-handed option who can cover multiple positions, they could do much worse than Rojas.

Eli Morgan - Right-handed pitcher

It is easy to forget about pitcher Eli Morgan in a Royals uniform right now, considering he has been away with Team Israel in the World Baseball Classic.

Morgan’s time with the Chicago Cubs last year was equally forgettable, but the Royals could be calling his number sooner rather than later. Morgan’s best years came with the Cleveland Guardians, including a high-leverage role in 2024. His transformation from starter to reliever happened quickly, and current Royals pitching coach Brian Sweeney played a part in that process.

The 29-year-old Californian has thrown only 49.1 innings over the past two seasons, which helps explain why a reliever with a career 3.68 ERA and 1.15 WHIP was available on a minor-league deal.

Morgan’s arsenal looks very similar to what it was last season, but that is not necessarily a bad thing. His changeup and four-seam heavy approach still grades out well, and the cambio remains his signature offering.

If Kansas City is looking to stockpile pitchers with true out pitches, Morgan’s changeup fits that description. He should still get time to prove himself in a Royals uniform this spring, even if the bullpen picture already feels crowded. At the very least, Morgan is shaping up as a strong veteran option to have waiting in the wings.