Diamondbacks announce spring training roster with Gino Groover, Kristian Robinson
Jan 31, 2025, 3:50 PM | Updated: 4:31 pm
The Arizona Diamondbacks released their 2025 spring training roster for big league camp on Friday, including prospects Gino Groover and Kristian Robinson among the non-roster invitees.
The 39 players currently on the 40-man roster will be accompanied by 19 NRIs at big league camp.
Pitchers and catchers will report to Salt River Fields on Feb. 12, and the first full squad workouts are on Feb. 17. Arizona begins its Cactus League schedule on Feb. 21 against the Colorado Rockies.
We’re so close to hearing mitts popping again.
Diamondbacks non-roster invitees
Right-handed pitchers: Kyle Amendt, Jeff Brigham, Christian Montes De Oca, Juan Morillo, Listher Sosa, Thyago Vieira and Josh Winder
Left-handed pitchers: Kyle Backhus and José Castillo
Catchers: Christian Cerda and Aramis Garcia
Infielders: Gino Groover, Tristin English (1B/OF), Connor Kaiser and Ildemaro Vargas
Outfielders: Garrett Hampson (utility), Cristian Pache, Kristian Robinson and A.J. Vukovich
Diamondbacks 40-man roster
Pitchers: Corbin Burnes, Yilber Diaz, Joe Elbis, Zac Gallen, Kevin Ginkel, Drey Jameson, Bryce Jarvis, Merrill Kelly, Justin Martinez, Seth Martinez, Cristian Mena, Ryne Nelson, Brandon Pfaadt, Ryan Thompson, Tommy Henry, Joe Mantiply, Jordan Montgomery, Kyle Nelson, A.J. Puk, Eduardo Rodriguez and Blake Walston
Catchers: Adrian Del Castillo, Jose Herrera, Gabriel Moreno and René Pinto
Infielders: Blaze Alexander, Grae Kessinger, Jordan Lawlar, Ketel Marte, Josh Naylor, Geraldo Perdomo, Pavin Smith (1B/OF), Eugenio Suárez and Tim Tawa
Outfielders: Jorge Barrosa, Corbin Carroll, Lourdes Gurriel Jr., Jake McCarthy and Alek Thomas
Diamondbacks prospects to watch in major league camp
Groover has moved through the farm system with pace despite missing three months last season with a broken wrist, reaching Double-A Amarillo at the end of his first professional campaign.
The D-backs took Groover in the second round of the 2023 MLB Draft, and the smooth-swinging, right-handed bat from N.C. State hit .281/.367/.474 last season with 10 home runs in 61 games. He made up for lost reps in the Arizona Fall League, where he hit .339 in 18 games.
“I’m a big dreamer, I missed a lot of time in my first professional season … I wanna go out there, be myself, play my game, get into rhythm early on,” Groover told MLB Network earlier this month. “I wanna push the envelope. The dream is to reach the big leagues next year at some point … If I don’t put it out there, if I don’t believe in myself, I can’t expect other people to.”
Robinson returns to big league camp after spending the entire 2024 season in Double-A. He put a full minor league season under his belt for the first time after missing all of 2020-22 due to COVID-19 and visa issues stemming from a police incident in 2020 (more here). He was Arizona’s top prospect before the lost time with his power-speed combination, and he now enters his age 24 season with a bit of momentum from a strong AFL showing (.854 OPS and nine steals in 19 games).
Amendt racked up strikeout after strikeout in his first full minor league season in 2024. The 24-year-old reliever punched out 40.3% of batters he faced, 15.3 per nine innings. A closer in college, Amendt saved eight games last year, and continuing to strike out opponents near this rate will put him on the big league bump sooner than later.
Cerda is a 22-year-old catcher whom the D-backs traded outfielder David Peralta to the Tampa Bay Rays for in 2022.
Veterans invited to Diamondbacks camp
The D-backs will also get a look at a handful of veterans on minor league deals who will compete to fill in gaps on the roster or for depth.
Arizona added defensive versatility with Hampson and Vargas, while Pache is an elite defensive outfielder who has yet to find his footing offensively in MLB. Hampson in particular can play anywhere but catcher, as he contributed to the 2023 Miami Marlins and 2024 Kansas City Royals postseason teams.
Vargas is back for a third stint with the club after spending last year on the Washington Nationals.
Vieira is back after pitching 15.2 innings of relief for the D-backs last year with a 2.87 ERA.
First looks at Diamondbacks additions
The first week of spring training will give fans their first looks at new Diamondbacks brought in to take this team over the edge and back to October.
Burnes is a big-ticket free agent pitcher who wanted to be in Arizona. The four-time All-Star signed a six-year deal worth $210 million with an opt-out after Year 2. His first appearance in the Cactus League will be highly anticipated.
Arizona traded for Naylor, dealing Slade Cecconi and a pick to Cleveland to acquire the first baseman. This will be the first spring training in a long time without Christian Walker, so fans will get to know their new power bat over at Salt River Fields.
Not a newcomer, but Jameson is another name to watch considering the fireballer missed the 2023 postseason run and all of 2024 after Tommy John surgery. With his high-90s mph heater and plus slider, how the D-backs use Jameson will be a popular question this spring.