March 4th, 2021 at 8:00 am 
by 0799291000348 Major League Baseball defines NRI as:
A non-roster invite (NRI) is an invitation for a player who is not on a club’s 40-man roster to attend Major League camp in Spring Training and compete for a roster spot. Clubs can extend NRIs to their upper-level Minor Leaguers and also include NRIs in Minor League contracts given to free agents in the offseason.
If you have followed MLB Spring Training for more than a couple of seasons, you are familiar with the NRI acronym. A diverse group of players ranging from highly regarded prospects to older veterans hoping to catch lightning in a bottle for another season in The Show.
For a veteran team like the Dodgers with loads of talent, the young prospects are not expected to make the 40-man roster, let alone the active roster for Opening Day. They have been invited as another step in their development to gain valuable experience playing and training alongside their major league counterparts while being coached-up by the major league staff.
This Spring, the Dodgers have 18-prospects in their major league camp: 11 pitchers, two catchers, and eight position players.
Pitchers:
- Josiah Gray
- Michael Grove
- Landon Knack
- Nolan Long
- Jose Martinez
- Bobby Miller
- Robinson Ortiz
- Ryan Pepiot
- Nick Robertson
- Gus Varland
- Kendall Williams
Catchers:
Infielders:
Outfielders:
(Video capture courtesy of SportsNet LA)
Watching these talented young men play this Spring might be fans’ only opportunity to see them in action this season, limited to following their 2021 performance through box scores and stats pages available from Baseball America and Minor League Baseball.
Health permitting, veteran NRI pitchers Brandon Morrow and Jimmy Nelson have a reasonable expectation of making the Dodgers Opening Day roster. Room on the 40-man roster would have to be opened, but that should not be a problem, as pitcher Tommy Kahnle will eventually be moved to the 60-day IL, and either a trade or DFA (designating for assignment) could open another spot.
Ostensibly, veteran NRI infielders Andy Burns, Matt Davidson, Rangel Ravelo, and Elliot Soto are competing for a spot on the Dodgers bench as a right-handed-hitting utility player. But the odds are incredibly low that the Dodgers will make additional room on the 40-man roster for any of the four; more likely, they will be assigned to the Triple-A Oklahoma City Dodgers.
Almost four weeks remain in the 2021 Cactus League season for the Dodgers, so there is plenty of time for one, or more, of the NRI’s to step up and force their way onto the Dodgers roster. In 2014 it was NRI Justin Turner who earned a spot on the roster in Spring Training, and in 2018 it was Max Muncy.
What do you think, Dodgers fans? Is there another Turner or Muncy playing their way onto the Opening Day roster this Spring?
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Posted in 
As deep as the Dodgers are at every position, I do not see any of the NRI prospects breaking camp on the 40-man roster, let alone the 26-man.
That said, if I had to pick two, it would be right-hander Matt Robertson and outfielder James Outman. The problem is, the Dodgers bullpen is filled to the gills and their outfield even more so. Keep in mind (and as you noted), Brandon Morrow and Jimmy Nelson are all but guaranteed spots on the Opening Day roster and DJ Peters will get the call-up before Outman.
…but you just never know.
If I had to pick two prospects to make the 40-man roster sooner than later, I will go with Josiah Gray, who would pitch out of the bullpen, and Michael Busch. But, the only way either goes on the roster before next November are injuries and hopefully that will not happen. I think Peters has a very good chance of breaking camp with the Dodgers as the 4th OF’er and backup first baseman. However, I look for Neuse to battle Peters for that bench spot by being the utility infielder with Chris Taylor spending more time in the OF. Next 4 weeks will be very interesting to watch.
I neglected to mention that Outman certainly could break camp at a bench player, but I see those going to Chris Taylor and Zach McKinstry.
Outman has not played above Lo-A, but I really like what I have seen. Better than Raley right now.
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