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Most interesting non-roster invitee for every AL team

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With spring training opening this week, a number of players signed to minor-league deals, as well as some of baseball's top prospects, will be vying for big-league jobs.

Here's one interesting non-roster invitee to keep an eye on for every American League team.

The National League version was published Wednesday.

American League East

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Baltimore Orioles - Adley Rutschman

It's unlikely that the No. 1 overall 2019 draft pick breaks camp with the Orioles, but Rutschman's presence alone makes things more interesting for Baltimore. The talented backstop jumped to No. 4 on MLB Pipeline's prospect list after posting a .894 OPS in 20 games for Low-A Aberdeen last season.

Boston Red Sox - Jeter Downs

Following the Mookie Betts blockbuster with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Downs will spend his spring in Florida rather than Arizona. The promising infield prospect should draw attention at Red Sox camp because Boston now employs a Jeter of its own, but he's very talented, too. The youngster hit .276/.362/.526 with 24 homers, 35 doubles, 86 RBIs, and 24 steals in the minors last season.

New York Yankees - Chris Iannetta

With no clear-cut favorite to back up Gary Sanchez at catcher, Iannetta is one of five backstops coming to spring camp to compete for that spot. The former Colorado Rockies catcher has spent much of his career as an MLB regular and has 141 homers on his resume, so his chances of winning the job are high.

Tampa Bay Rays - Chris Herrmann

There's an open competition for the Rays' backup catcher spot this spring between Herrmann, Kevan Smith, and Michael Perez. Herrmann has the most experience and success in the majors but has only appeared in 66 games over the past two seasons.

Toronto Blue Jays - Nate Pearson

Blue Jays camp won't just draw attention because of Hyun-Jin Ryu. Pearson, the No. 8 prospect in baseball according to MLB Pipeline, has one of the most electric arms in the game and looks like a future ace. The 23-year-old will get a taste of big-league camp this spring and bring his 102-mph fastball along with him.

American League Central

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Chicago White Sox - Nick Madrigal

While a lot of the hype at White Sox camp will surround Luis Robert and Andrew Vaughan, Madrigal has a decent shot at a roster spot. The White Sox currently project to start either Leury Garcia or the unproven Danny Mendick at second base, so Madrigal's on-base ability (he's posted a .371 on-base percentage in the minors) could help him earn the job.

Cleveland Indians - Anthony Gose

Gose comes to Indians camp with a shot at grabbing a spot in Cleveland's bullpen. The former outfielder converted to pitching in 2017 after his career floundered and finally found some success last year, posting a 2.48 ERA and 10.9 K/9 across two minor-league levels. He also looked untouchable during a recent nine-game stint in the Puerto Rican winter league.

Detroit Tigers - Casey Mize

Tigers fans have been waiting patiently for Mize to get the big-league call. While starting the season at Triple-A seems more likely, there's room for baseball's No. 7 prospect to begin the year in Detroit's rotation if he shines this spring as he has in the minors (8-3, 2.55 ERA in 109.1 innings in 2019).

Kansas City Royals - Trevor Rosenthal

The Royals are the latest team to take a flier on Rosenthal, a former closer who has 121 career saves to his credit. If he can find his old form, he'll be a solid addition to Kansas City's bullpen, although the hard-throwing 29-year-old is a non-roster invitee for a reason. He was a disaster for the Tigers and Washington Nationals last season, allowing 23 earned runs and 26 walks in 15 1/3 innings.

Minnesota Twins - Jhoulys Chacin

With Michael Pineda and Rich Hill expected to miss big chunks of the first half of the season, Chacin is a nice bit of insurance for the Twins' rotation. The veteran right-hander was Milwaukee's best starter in 2018 before things fell apart for him last year.

American League West

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Houston Astros - Forrest Whitley

2019 was a tumultuous year for Houston's top prospect. He served a 50-game ban for violating MLB's drug policy, his combined ERA across four levels climbed to 7.99, and his walks per nine soared to 6.6. Despite the poor results, he still received an invite to spring camp and should compete for a spot on the Astros' staff, which doesn't have a clear fifth starter.

Los Angeles Angels - Jo Adell

2020 might be the year that Adell, the No. 6 prospect in baseball, finally debuts in the majors. After a trade for Joc Pederson fell through, the 20-year-old outfielder might be the Angels' best bet in right field, although he'll have stiff competition from Brian Goodwin.

Oakland A's - Ryan Goins

With most of the excitement surrounding A's camp revolving around youngsters Jesus Luzardo, A.J. Puk, and Franklin Barreto, Goins looks like the most interesting standout among Oakland's non-roster invitees. Goins is a glove-first veteran with playoff experience, and he could give the A's a solid depth piece they can rotate around the infield if Barreto fails to break camp with the club.

Seattle Mariners - Jarred Kelenic

Kelenic, one of the pieces acquired in the Edwin Diaz-Robinson Cano trade, could be a future star. He looked fantastic in the minors last season and recently increased his popularity with an incredible viral video.

Texas Rangers - Greg Bird

The Rangers are projected to begin the regular season with Ronald Guzman and his career .229 batting average as their starting first baseman, which bodes well for Bird, a former Yankee with upside. In 46 games in 2015, Bird hit .261/.343/.529 with 11 homers and 31 RBIs and was viewed as a future starter for the Bronx Bombers before being bitten by the injury bug.

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