A's Non-Roster Invitees for Spring Training

With A's Spring Training set to begin in just a few short weeks, there is a lot of excitement in the air. For the first time ever, owner John Fisher has decided to spend some money, and the team will have a payroll over $100 million--also a first.
The Athletics made a 19-game improvement last season, going from 50 wins in 2023 to 69 in '24, and with the additions the A's have made, along with a young roster with lots of potential, the hope is that this team can at least reach .500, if not potentially be in the AL West race late in the season.
With that in mind, here are the non-roster invitees that will be in camp this spring. Some of these guys will be in the big leagues in 2025, while others are trying to set themselves up for a debut in 2026.
Nick Kurtz - No. 2 overall prospect in the A's system behind Jacob Wilson, who is expected to be the A's shortstop this season. The first baseman was selected by the team with the fourth overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, and was the top player on the A's board.
He's shown advanced feel at the plate and should continue to move through the system fairly quickly after starting in Stockton, then after a week of games, skipping High-A Lansing and landing with Double-A Midland before an injury cut his season short.
Mason Barnett - Acquired in the Lucas Erceg trade with the Kansas City Royals, Barnett is currently ranked as the club's No. 6 prospect.
The right-hander should be destined for Triple-A Las Vegas before long, after posting a 2.61 ERA across 41 1/3 innings post-trade, while upping his strikeout rate (31.1%) and lowering his walk rate (7.8%). Of the A's pitchers in the upper minors, he's the one to be the most excited about.
Colby Thomas - The No. 7 ranked prospect in the system, Thomas is going to be clawing at the door to the big leagues in 2025, coming off a 31 home run campaign.
He handled himself well with the bat in the upper minors, but the A's will likely want to see his strikeout rate (30.3% with Las Vegas) come down a little bit before bringing him up. How the A's fit him into the outfield mix will be interesting to see unfold.
Chen Zhong-Ao Zhuang - The 24-year-old turned in a quietly impressive season in the minors, posting a cumulative 2.09 ERA across three levels and spanning 86 innings. He barely allowed any walks last season, giving up a total of 12, for a walk rate of 3.6%. That command could take him far.
Daniel Susac - The A's No. 11 prospect and their first round pick back in 2022, Susac could be ready for Triple-A after spending last season with Double-A Midland.
He batted .257 with a .300 OBP and 12 home runs in 88 games, finishing the year with a 103 wRC+. If he performs well this season, he could be looking at a potential role with the A's in 2026.
Max Muncy - The A's No. 8 prospect and their first round selection in 2021, Muncy, a natural shortstop, has done nothing but hit in his time in the minors. Since he was drafted out of high school, it has taken him a little time to go through the system, but he played in 50 games last season with the Aviators and hit .277 with a .374 OBP and eight homers.
With the arrival of Wilson, his former high school teammate, in the big leagues, it's likely that we see Muncy get more reps at third base in 2025. Once the A's deem him ready, he could be the team's third baseman of the future.
Henry Bolte - When Bolte was selected by the A's in the second round in 2022, he was one of those guys that you look at and say "if he can put it all together..." and dream on his skillset.
Still just 21, Bolte has struck out over 30% at every stop in the A's system, but he has also displayed the power/speed combo that makes him such an interesting prospect. Last year in High-A and Double-A combined, he hit 15 homers with 46 stolen bases. That talent is why he's ranked as the team's No. 5 prospect.
Jack Perkins - Perkins, a 25-year-old right-hander, ranks as the A's No. 18 prospect and had a stellar season with Midland in 2024. Across 76 innings (17 games, 15 starts) he posted a 2.96 ERA (2.74 FIP) while limiting the opposition to just two home runs on the year.
The highest home run rate per fly ball that he's ever posted was 6.4%, and that came in 2023 with Lansing. Last year it sat at 3.4%, which is quite low. Perkins also struck out 31.7% of the batters he faced, which ranked second overall in the Texas League among pitchers with at least 70 innings.
Jason Alexander - The brother of former A's reliever Scott Alexander and no relation to the actor with the same name, Jason Alexander is a 31-year-old righty from Windsor, Ca that was signed to a minor-league deal in November.
He's consistently run ground ball rates above 50%, which could make him valuable to the A's if the ball starts to fly in Sacramento. He's likely to be a depth option for the club in 2025 that could either start or work in long relief, depending on the needs of the club.
Tanner Dodson - Dodson, like Alexander, signed a minor-league deal with the A's in November, and is also from the Sacramento area--or rather, Sacramento itself. He went to Cal and spent the 2022-24 seasons in the Los Angeles Dodgers' system.
The 27-year-old has yet to make his big-league debut, but he will be one of the bigger ground ball specialists for the A's to consider. Last season in Oklahoma City, he held a 63.2% ground ball rate and a 3.32 ERA (4.96 FIP) in 62 1/3 innings. He's had an issue with walks throughout his career, including a 15.1% rate in Triple-A last year.
Logan Davidson - Drafted by the A's in the first round back in 2019, Davidson, 27, is at the make-or-break stage in his career with the A's. He grades out as average nearly across the board, but is still considered the team's No. 29 prospect on MLB Pipeline.
The only position he didn't play last season was catcher, so he's a versatile opton for the club, but he also just began working in the outfield in 2024, primarily in left. That could have just been to ease him into the outfield as a whole. He ended up hitting .300 with 14 home runs in 87 games with Vegas last season, so his bat could land him an opportunity at some point, though he'd serve as a jack-of-all-trades.
Domingo Robles - The 26-year-old left-hander signed as a minor-league free agent ahead of the 2024 season and had arguably his best season in pro ball with Midland, posting a 2.91 ERA (3.29 FIP) in 86 2/3 innings. He made it into 22 games, starting 14, and thrived in the bullpen, posting a 1.25 ERA across 21 2/3 innings.
His ground ball rate also increased quite a bit out of the 'pen. Given that the A's have a number of starting pitcher options to choose from at the moment, Robles could be destined for a relief role with the club, given that they only have one true left-handed reliever in the big leagues. Even if that is his future, the A's will want to try him out in Triple-A first.
Pedro Santos - Santos, 25, signed with the A's out of Cuba back in 2018. The righty started the season off with Midland, posting a 1.80 ERA (2.54 FIP) in 15 innings of work, then was bumped up to Vegas where he struggled at times.
In 36 2/3 innings, he held a 5.89 ERA (6.04 FIP). His 17% walk rate stayed consistent, but his strikeout rate dipped from 40.6% to 24.6% between the two levels, which led to him having a tougher time.
Matt Krook - The 30-year-old southpaw was signed by the A's in November and figures to be in the bullpen mix, given that the team could use a second left-hander. Krook has very limited MLB experience, tossing four frames for the Yankees in 2023, and one more for the Baltimore Orioles in 2024.
Given the small sample size, he has a 23.40 ERA (10.64 FIP). Krook does two things very well, and that is accumulate strikeouts as well as ground balls. He also tends to walk a lot of guys. If the A's can get his command/control working, then he could end up being a real weapon for the club.