New Non-Roster Invitees - Brignac, Blanco & Manship

2013 Topps Update #US206

On the same day the Phillies officially signed back-up catcher Wil Nieves, they also announced the signing of their seventh non-roster invitee to spring training.  Jeff Manship will join the fray of pitchers in Clearwater trying to catch new pitching coach Bob McClure's eye.  Manship appeared in 11 games last season with the Rockies, pitching to a 7.04 ERA over 30 2/3 innings.  He spent the first four seasons of his career with the Twins.

Back on November 19th, the Phillies signed infielder Reid Brignac to a minor league contract.  Brignac played in parts of five seasons with the Rays beginning in 2008.  In 2013, he bounced from the Rays to the Rockies to the Yankees and back to the Rockies, where he hit a combined .114 over 17 games.  Brignac has the honor of having the most recent mainstream baseball card among the first seven non-roster invitee, having appeared in the recently released Topps Update series.

Finally, the Phillies brought back Andres Blanco who spent the 2012 season with the Triple-A IronPigs, but found himself out of baseball last season.  Blanco last appeared in the Majors in 2011 with  the Rangers.

So here are your first seven Phillies non-roster invitees.  There's got to be a diamond in the rough somewhere in there.  Right?

Player (position) - 2013 Organization - Last Major Baseball Card Appearance

1.  Shawn Camp (rhp) - Cubs/Diamondbacks - 2012 Topps Update #US238 (Cubs)

2.  Leandro Castro (of) - Phillies - 2010 Topps Pro Debut #84 (Phillies)

3.  Cesar Jimenez (lhp) - Phillies - 2009 Upper Deck #857 (Mariners)

4.  Clete Thomas (of) - Twins - 2010 Topps #441 (Tigers)
5.  Reid Brignac (inf) - Yankees/Rockies - 2013 Topps Update #US206
6.  Andres Blanco (inf) - N/A - 2007 Topps #659 (Royals)
7.  Jeff Manship (rhp) - Rockies - 2010 Finest #141 (Twins)

Memory Lane

2013 Non-Roster Invitees