De Vries, Salas headline list of Padres' spring NRIs

SAN DIEGO -- Top prospects Leodalis De Vries and Ethan Salas were among 28 non-roster invitees to Padres Spring Training, the team announced on Friday.

Below is the full list of non-roster players invited to camp, where they will join the group of players already on the 40-man roster:

Pitchers and catchers are slated to begin workouts at the team’s complex in Peoria, Ariz., on Wednesday, with the first full-squad workout set for Feb. 17.

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Here are some takeaways from Friday’s announcement:

1. De Vries and Salas will see plenty of playing time

De Vries recently checked in at No. 18 on MLB Pipeline’s list of the Top 100 prospects, with Salas at No. 33. That duo should get plenty of action this spring. It's Salas' second Major League Spring Training and De Vries' first (though De Vries saw some action against big league competition last spring as well).

San Diego is no stranger to throwing highly touted prospects into the fire during Spring Training. Once upon a time, the Padres did it with Fernando Tatis Jr. More recently, they did it with CJ Abrams and Jackson Merrill.

Although Salas and De Vries are destined to start the season in the Minors, they'll likely be given plenty of Cactus League playing time. That's especially true given that the positions both play are relatively thin.

The Padres have no qualms about giving Salas time behind the plate with their top starting pitchers. De Vries is one of only three true shortstops on the spring roster (though there are numerous utility options who can play the position).

2. The bench battle is shaping up

Offensively, the equation is simple enough. There are two favorites at catcher (Luis Campusano and Elias Díaz). The four starting infield spots are theoretically set (even though Luis Arraez could end up at DH if the Padres sign a first baseman). Tatis and Merrill occupy right and center field, respectively. And the skill sets of Tyler Wade and Brandon Lockridge make them ideal bench pieces.

That's 10 roster spots. Three remain. And general manager A.J. Preller recently told fans at FanFest that he's still searching for "a bat or two." Presumably, a left fielder is the top priority.

So there’s a competition for bench places (and perhaps the starting DH). Of the players on the 40-man roster, No. 18 prospect Tirso Ornelas will vie for that LF/DH role. Eguy Rosario will contend for a bench spot as a versatile infielder.

But the NRIs should feature heavily in this competition. Could Mike Brosseau emerge as a useful righty bat in the mold of Donovan Solano? Can Mason McCoy's excellent glove earn him a spot as a backup shortstop? Does Martín Maldonado push for a spot behind the plate? Would, say, Oscar Gonzalez or Yonathan Perlaza force their way into the LF/DH conversation as the righty halves of a platoon? Stay tuned.

3. The Padres need starting pitching

Over the past year, the Padres have made several significant trades that depleted their upper-level starting-pitching depth. On their early spring roster, it shows.

The NRI list doesn't tell us anything new -- the Padres have always needed starting pitching. But it sure is reliever-heavy, reinforcing the need to add a starter or two to the mix. The back of the rotation still has major question marks.

Matt Waldron and Randy Vásquez currently occupy the final two spots. Jhony Brito is also in the mix. Stephen Kolek and Bryan Hoeing have been mentioned as relievers who could transition into a starting role this spring (though manager Mike Shildt noted at FanFest that those plans haven't been finalized, and he confirmed that Adrian Morejon would remain in the bullpen).

At the very least, this group could use more depth -- and a tougher spring competition.