Where Are They Now? T-Plush & the Tribe’s 2014 Spring Invitees

There might not be a more conventional form of Spring Training journalism than the “diamond in the rough” piece, in which uneducated guessers like myself ask burning questions like, “Could Bruce Chen be this year’s Scott Kazmir?” Never underestimate a baseball writer’s ability to turn a two-word answer—“probably not”—into a 1,000 word thesis on why southpaws make better comeback stories. The overlooked fact is that–in the case of the Indians’ annual crop of non-roster invitees–every question does eventually get it’s answer. Sometimes we just forgot what we asked.

And so, before diving into the 2015 list of non-roster Cleveland Indians players in Goodyear (a group sure to be dwindling quickly), I thought it might make more sense to start by revisiting the guys who lived in that same bubble last year. What became of the 2014 Indians Non-Roster Invitees, and what might it teach us about life on the outskirts of baseball relevance?

Receiving an “invitation” to a club’s spring camp is a bit of a compliment wrapped in an insult. Unless you’re a top prospect getting a preparatory taste of the Show (see Francisco Lindor), an invitee is usually a minor league free agent adrift in Big League limbo. He could be a former slugger on the downside of his career, a pitcher trying to bounce back from multiple elbow surgeries, or one of those faceless, interchangeable backup catchers hoping to get noticed for his “good working relationship with the pitching staff.” Whatever the case, his odds aren’t great. Out of the 24 invitation-only guests who RSVPed last year, only two—74 year-old Scott Atchison and the young catcher Roberto Perez—are likely to be on the Indians’ Opening Day roster this season. Of the rest, two have since retired, three are playing in Korea (including Tony Plush!), one guy is in Japan, and 10 are invitees with different clubs this season, still unsure of their job security. Here’s the full roundup, from A(ardsma) to Z(agurski).

David Aardsma (RP)
2014: Released by Indians on March 21
2015: Invitee with the Dodgers
The first name alphabetically in the MLB history books, Aardsma didn’t make it out of camp with Cleveland, but wound up having a good year in Triple-A with the Cardinals. Now the 33 year-old ex-closer is trying to latch on with Los Angeles.

Scott Atchison (RP)
2014: Made the Team
2015: On Indians roster
A signing that hardly made waves at the time, but Terry Francona knew Atchison (or “Atchinson,” as Tom Hamilton insists) from his Red Sox days, and the durable junkballer wound up being one of the unsung heroes of 2014, making 70 appearances and posting a 2.75 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, and 1.4 gmLI (which means he pitched in unusually high pressure situations… though nothing compared to what he saw in WWII).

Travis Banwart (P)
2014: Pitched for Columbus
2015: Playing for the SK Wyverns, Korean Baseball Organization
I heard he was a nice guy.

Matt Capps (RP)
2014: Pitched a few games in Indians’ Arizona rookie league.
2015: Cut by Braves this week
The former accomplished closer hasn’t pitched in the Bigs since 2012. The Tribe had him floating around for two years working on a comeback attempt that is looking less and less likely to ever come to fruition.

Luke Carlin ( C )
2014: Played in Columbus
2015: Invitee with Athletics
Luke Carlin is a baseball player who is apparently NOT Matt Carson.

Matt Carson (OF)
2014: Played for Columbus
2015: Invitee with Dodgers
Matt Carson, who is coincidentally NOT Luke Carlin, has had a solid if humble career as a Crash Davis breed of Triple-A anti-hero. You may recall he hit .636 in 20 games for the Indians back in 2013. I know, I thought that was Luke Carlin, too. Nope.

Tyler Cloyd (SP)
2014: Pitched for Columbus
2015: Released by Indians, now with Samsung Lions of Korea Baseball Organization
The 27 year-old had a pretty solid season with the Clippers last year, but the opportunity to join Travis Banwart in South Korea was just too enticing to pass up.

Jeff Francoeur (OF)
2014: Released by Indians on March 22, signed with Padres
2015: Invitee with Phillies
Frenchy made $7.5 million in his last season in KC in 2013. He became a frontrunner to steal a roster spot in Cleveland last spring. It didn’t take. He wound up with the Padres’ Triple-A club in El Paso, and is now trying to convince the hapless Phillies to give him a second life. His teeth say “just happy to be here,” but his eyes say “I need this.”

Jason Giambi (DH)
2014: Made the Team as a DH/DL Bench Coach
2015: Retired
Not sure what national commentators will use for anecdotes during Indians broadcasts now that the “Giambi has been an amazing clubhouse guy” narrative is finally put out to pasture.

Aaron Harang (SP)
2014: Released by Indians on March 24, signed with Braves
2015: On Phillies roster
Harang was a late cut last spring, and wound up reviving his career in Atlanta, earning himself a $5 million payday this offseason from Philadelphia. Some fans felt inclined to complain about the Tribe cutting Harang, but—after a brief thought—everyone collectively realized that, “meh, whatever.”

Elliot Johnson (UT)
2014: Made the Team (sort of)
2015: Invitee with Rangers
The veteran utilityman had two hits in 19 at-bats with the Indians in April, then spent the rest of the year in Columbus. He just turned 31 this week and is trying to find a home in Texas.

Bryan LaHair (1B)
2014: Played for Akron
2015: Invitee with Red Sox
Just three years ago, LaHair somehow made the All-Star team after a fluky couple of months with the Cubs. Last year, he was a 32 year-old minor-leaguer who hit .223 between Akron and Columbus.

Francisco Lindor (SS)
2014: Played for Columbus
2015: The Greatest Player of All Time?
Lindor has been in the Tribe’s Major League camp three straight springs. One has to believe this will be his last as a non-roster player.

Jake Lowery ( C )
2014: Played for Akron
2015: Invitee with Indians
The Tribe likes its 2011 fourth round pick, and they also want Yan Gomes to have fresh legs.

Shaun Marcum (SP)
2014: Pitched for Columbus (a little)
2015: Indians invitee
Year two of the Marcum revival project is underway. Last Spring Training, his Thoracic Outlet Syndrome prevented him from appearing in a game. He’s bettered that already by tossing a couple scoreless innings in Goodyear this year. He remains an intriguing dark horse if his condition—which had caused numbness in his pitching hand—is really under control. Fun Factoid: Shaun Marcum’s eyes can instantly hypnotize unsuspecting passersby.

Nyjer Morgan (OF)
2014: Made the Team, Released August 4
2015: Playing for Hanwha Eagles of Korean Baseball Organization
The argument could be made that Tony Plush—for the 15 games he suited up in Cleveland last year—was a more effective lead-off man than Michael Bourn’s been at any point in his two seasons here. Nyjer had an .868 OPS and three steals, but fell victim to injuries followed by roster inflexibility. Now he’s a Hanwha Eagle.

Tyler Naquin (OF)
2014: Played for Akron
2015: Invitee for Indians
The numbers were not overwhelming last season for the 2012 No. 1 draft pick, but he’s still a top 10 prospect in the system, and he’s getting the full Lindor treatment in Goodyear again this year.

Roberto Perez ( C )
2014: Called up to Indians in July
2015: On Indians roster
After hitting just .200 between Double-A and Triple-A in 2013, Perez turned things around in a big way last year, hitting .305 with a .922 OPS in Columbus and performing admirably as Yan Gomes’ new backup for the second half of the year.

J.C. Ramirez (RP)
2014: Pitched for Columbus
2015: Invitee with Phillies
Ramirez didn’t follow the rest of the Clipper staff to Korea. Instead, he’s back in Phillies camp, the team he briefly pitched for (badly) in 2013.

Ryan Rohlinger (UT)
2014: Played in Columbus
2015: Invitee with Indians
Rohlinger hasn’t gotten a call-up since 2011 with the Giants, and that was for one solitary at-bat. At 31, he knows his role in the baseball universe, but he loves this life, dammit. And who are you to judge where true happiness comes from? Fun Factoid: If you removed his cap, Rohlinger’s head shot would look right at home on the cover of Spin Magazine as the bassist for a marginally celebrated hardcore band from the mid-aughts.

Matt Treanor ( C )
2014: Retired on May 8
2015: Still retired despite millions pleading for his return
Twenty-one gun salute for Misty May’s husband.

Joe Wendle (2B)
2014: Played for Akron
2015: Invitee with Athletics
Former sixth-round pick has an interesting upside, but was deemed expendable in the deal that brought in Brandon Moss.

Tony Wolters ( C )
2014: Played for Akron
2015: Indians Minor League camp
It’s been less than two years since the Indians switched the former third-round pick from a middle infielder to a catcher. He’s still only 22, but there’s a bit of backstop backlog in front of him.

Mike Zagurski (RP)
2014: Released by Indians on May 24
2015: Playing for Hiroshima Toyo Carp of Nippon Professional Baseball
Big Z started the season in Columbus, then was picked up by the Blue Jays and made 30 (mostly good) appearances for Triple-A Buffalo. At 32 years old and 3 years removed from his last sustained whiff of the Majors, though, Japan came a calling. Konnichiwa.