COUNT WILL GO UP, BUT 43 ONETIME INDEPENDENT PLAYERS ALREADY HAVE MAJOR LEAGUE INVITATIONS

The count of former Independent players expected when major league spring training camps open next month is up to 43 but will go considerably higher when free agents Stephen Drew and Jerome Williams sign and all teams get around to announcing their non-roster invitees. The records maintained by the Independent Baseball Insider column, which resumes March 6, includes 26 players on 40-man rosters and 17 non-roster players at the moment.

The most recent non-roster invitees, mostly with Atlantic League ties, includes pitchers Jarrett Grube (Southern Maryland, Atlantic) with the Los Angeles Angels, Logan Kensing (Bridgeport, CT, Atlantic) with Seattle and Robert Coello (Edmonton and Calgary, Canada, Golden League) with the New York Yankees and corner infielder Andy Marte (York, PA, Atlantic) with Arizona. Kensing was in the Colorado organization last season and Coello with the Angels.

PATTERSON, GOLSON CHANGE ORGANIZATIONS

Free agent outfielders Greg Golson and Eric Patterson, who played with Pennsylvania-based Atlantic League teams Lancaster and York, respectively, have signed with new organizations. Golson has gone from Atlanta to Milwaukee (Class AA) and Patterson, who also plays the infield, from the Brewers to the Chicago White Sox where he has a Triple-A contract.

DI FELICE MOVES FROM MOUND TO BECOME A PITCHING COACH

Mark DiFelice, who got in some major league time with Milwaukee after pitching for both Somerset and Camden, NJ in the Atlantic League, is starting a new career. He was recently announced as Pittsburgh’s pitching coach for the Pirates’ Jamestown, NY team in the New York-Penn League.

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