A number of 2013 Bats players get spring training invite

Nick Christiani (RHP)
Christiani was selected by the Reds out of Vanderbilt University in the 13th round of the 2009 first-year player draft. He first appeared with the Bats in 2011 and has spent the majority of the past three seasons with the team. Last year, the young right-hander served as a relief pitcher for the Bats, posting a 6–5 record (career high in wins) in 49 games and also saving three games on three opportunities. His contract was purchased by Cincinnati on Aug. 22 and he appeared in one game for the big league ball club. He was optioned back to Louisville a week later, only to be recalled by Cincinnati on Sept. 3 for the remainder of the season. All in all, he threw four innings and gave up one earned run with the Reds.

Daniel Corcino (RHP)
Corcino signed with the Reds as a non-drafted free agent in 2008. He entered the 2013 season as the Reds’ fourth-best prospect and is said to have the best slider in the organization. The native of the Dominican Republic made his debut with the Bats during the season, but struggled with his command, posting a league-most 14 losses with a 5.86 ERA. He was also tied for third in the International League allowing 73 walks. However, at only 23 years old with a ton of raw talent, the Reds obviously have confidence in the young right-hander and currently rate him as the seventh-best prospect entering the 2014 season.

Tim Crabbe (RHP)
Crabbe was selected by the Reds out of Westmont College (CA) in the 14th round of the 2009 first-year player draft. He spent the majority of the 2013 season with the Class A Advanced Bakersfield Blaze and Double-A Pensacola Blue Wahoos but was promoted to Louisville on Aug. 22. He appeared in two games with the Bats before being placed on the DL and despite recording a stellar 0.71 ERA, he failed to notch his first win with the team.

Jose Diaz (RHP)
Diaz was signed by the Los Angeles Dodger organization as a non-drafted free agent in May 2001. He has spent the entirety of his 11-year career in the minor leagues and was signed by the Reds organization as a free agent in November 2012. The man better known as ‘Jumbo’ — standing 6 feet 4 inches tall and weighing north of 300 pounds — appeared in 44 games with the Bats a relief pitcher in 2013 and posted some good numbers .The big right-hander was 3–4 with a 1.66 ERA and 13 saves on 14 opportunities. There’s little chance Diaz makes it to the Majors with fireballer Aroldis Chapman and a plethora of formidable bullpen pitchers in the Reds organization, but he definitely help the organization win at the Triple-A level.

Lee Hyde (LHP)
The Atlanta Braves selected Hyde out of Georgia Tech in the fourth round of the 2006 first-year player draft. He spent five years in the Braves organization, one with the Nationals and one with the Yankees before the Reds signed him as a minor league free agent in November 2011. He began the 2013 season with the Double-A Pensacola Blue Wahoos, but was promoted to Louisville on June 8. He appeared in 13 games as a relief pitcher for the Bats and saw little action with a 1–0 record and zero earned runs in only seven innings pitched before he was demoted back to Pensacola on July 10 for the remainder of the season.

Ryan LaMarre (CF)
The Reds selected LaMarre out of the University of Michigan in the second round of the 2010 first-year player draft. He has played the last two seasons with the Double-A Pensacola Blue Wahoos where he hit .263 in 2012 — named a mid-season Southern League All-Star — and .246 in 2013 before being called up to the Bats on Aug. 31. He appeared in three games for the team and hit .182. LaMarre is currently rated as the Reds’ 14th-best prospect, according to MLB.com.

Kristopher Negron (SS)
Negron was acquired by the Reds in August 2009 via a trade with the Boston Red Sox for shortstop Alex Gonzalez and cash. He first appeared with the Bats for seven games during the 2010 season and has played the previous three seasons with the team — did have a four-game stint with the Reds during the 2012 season. Negron suffered a season-ending knee injury after he returned to Louisville in July 2012 and came back last year to play 116 games with the team and hit .225. The California product has a good glove and will likely be a mainstay in the Bats middle infield for the 2014 season.

Curtis Partch (RHP)
The Reds selected Partch out of Merced Junior College (CA) in the 26th round of the 2007 first-year player draft. The big right-hander began the 2013 season with Double-A Pensacola and eventually worked his way up to the big leagues where he recorded a 0–1 record with a 6.17 ERA in 14 appearances. He served as a relief pitcher with the Bats in the middle of the season and appeared in 24 games, posting a 1–2 record with a 4.13 ERA and tallying two saves in three opportunities.

Chad Rogers (RHP)
Rodgers was selected by the Reds out of Galveston Junior College (TX) in the 28th round of the 2010 first-year player draft. In 2012, he spent time between the Class A Advanced Bakersfield Blaze and Double-A Pensacola Blue Wahoos and was named both an MiLB.com Organizational All-Star as well as a mid-season California League All-Star. Rogers began the 2013 season with Pensacola and was promoted to Louisville on July 4 — ranked third in the Southern League with a 2.20 ERA before his transfer. The young righty started 12 games with the team and posted a 5–5 record with a 4.22 ERA.

Henry Rodriguez (2B)
Rodriquez was signed by the Reds as a non-drafted free agent in March 2007 — had just turned 17 years old. He bounced around a lot between the lower-level affiliates, but made his first appearance with the Bats in 2012. Last season, the young Venezuelan played 126 games for the team, hitting .274 with 21 XBH and 41RBI’s. Due to his production in Triple-A, Rodriguez was recalled by Cincinnati three times throughout the season, but struggled in his nine appearances with the club, recording only one hit in nine at-bats. He is currently listed as the Reds’ 12th-best prospect, according to MLB.com, entering the 2014 season.

Neftali Soto (1B/3B)
The Reds signed Soto in the third round of the 2007 first-year player draft. He first appeared for the Bats at the end of the 2011 season and hit an impressive .412 in 17 plate appearances. The young Puerto Rican has spent the past two seasons with the ball club and has had good production — leading the team in RBI’s (59) and total bases (186) and second in home runs (14) in 2012. Last season, Soto bettered his numbers and hit .271 with 15 home runs and 61 RBI’s. He spent a total of 13 games with the big league ball club, but struggled to record a hit in 12 at-bats. Soto is currently rated as the Reds’ 17th best prospect, according to MLB.com.