YANKEES ANNOUNCE 27 NON-ROSTER INVITES INCLUDING TOP PROSPECT GEORGE LOMBARD JR
Will George Lombard Jr. make the jump? We break down the Yankees' 67-man spring roster and the top non-roster invites for 2026.
Major League Baseball teams are gearing up for spring training, which means it’s time to see who gets an invite to camp. Some clubs have already named their non-roster invites, letting us know which extra players will get a shot. The Yankees, for example, just announced 27 additional players joining them at Steinbrenner Field this spring. Among them? Their top prospect, George Lombard Jr.
The announcement came straight from the Yankees’ X account. Looking over the list, only a handful of these guys have much big-league experience—Jonathan Ornelas, Seth Brown, Zack Short, and Paul DeJong stand out. DeJong and Brown, in particular, have had some real MLB success, so the pressure’s on for them to show they still belong and maybe grab a roster spot on Opening Day.
So what exactly is a non-roster invite? It’s pretty much what it sounds like: players who aren’t on the Yankees’ 40-man roster get a chance to show what they can do in spring camp. Some are young prospects trying to break through; others are veterans hoping to prove they still have something left.
Add up the 40-man roster and these 27 extras, and you’ll see 67 players reporting to Yankees camp this spring.
Here’s how the group breaks down by position:
Catchers: Abraham Gutierrez, Payton Henry, Miguel Palma, Ali Sanchez
Infielders: Paul DeJong, George Lombard Jr, Jonathan Ornelas, Zack Short
Outfielders: Kenedy Corona, Duke Ellis
Utility: Seth Brown, Marco Luciano, Ernesto Martinez Jr.
Pitchers: Michael Arias, Brendan Beck, Kyle Carr (lefty), Harrison Cohen, Carson Coleman, Alexander Cornielle, Yovanny Cruz, Drake Fellows, Bradley Hanner, Ben Hess, Adam Kloffenstein, Carlos Lagrange, Travis MacGregor
Now, what really jumps out from this list? The infield group is interesting, especially with George Lombard Jr getting his first taste of big-league camp as the Yankees’ top prospect. Marco Luciano is another name to keep an eye on since he’s bounced around this offseason after being designated for assignment—he’s got something to prove.
Seth Brown and Paul DeJong have both shown they can hit for power—Brown has 74 career homers, DeJong 146 in nine seasons—but both have struggled lately, which is why they’re here as non-roster invites hunting for another shot.
Some of the Yankees’ other big prospects, like Spencer Jones and Elmer Rodriguez, are already on the 40-man roster, so they’ll be in camp too. Still, nothing’s guaranteed for them; they’ll need to perform during exhibition games to lock down a spot.
All in all, spring camp’s going to be crowded and competitive. That’s exactly how the Yankees like it.
GILBERT ARENAS RIPS LAKERS AFTER "DISAPPOINTING" LUKE KENNARD TRADE DEADLINE MOVE
Gilbert Arenas slams the Lakers' trade for Luke Kennard as JJ Redick prepares to unleash the 50% shooter in a new 2026 rotation.
On Thursday, February 5, the Lakers made a move and brought in Luke Kennard. He’s known for his shooting, and honestly, they need the extra floor spacing in JJ Redick’s rotation.
Right after the news broke, Gilbert Arenas didn’t hold back on social media. He sounded off about the trade, almost like he’d had enough.
“At this point, I’m just going to take matters into my own hands. Every hooper that can still hoop, we’re going to go down to Crypto Centre and just try out because at this point they’re allowing anybody on the team,” Arenas said. “What happened to the names? The names made the Lakers… He was a Clipper before! “Fuck him!”
Arenas probably wanted a bigger, flashier move at the deadline—he’s not alone. A lot of Lakers fans felt the same. Even so, Kennard does make the team better. The Lakers have been struggling from deep all year, and Kennard’s shooting should help.
After 50 games, the Lakers rank 21st in three-point percentage, hitting 34.9% on nearly 34 attempts a night. Kennard isn’t just a shooter, either. He can handle the ball a bit, maybe open up the offence with some playmaking, which the Lakers could use when the first option breaks down.
Redick seemed genuinely excited after the Lakers’ 119-115 win over the Sixers. At the postgame press conference, he talked about what Kennard brings.
“I’m excited about Luke,” Redick said. “I’ve known him for about 12 years now, and I think he’s one of the best shooters in the NBA. I’m going to highly encourage him to shoot more and not turn down shots.”
He went on: “One of the underrated parts of his game is his ability to move and create second actions—move the basketball. You’ve seen that at different spots he’s been. You can start the offence with off-ball movement, and he’ll make the right play. He gets the offence moving.”
Kennard played 46 games with the Hawks this season, averaging 7.9 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 2.1 assists. He’s been lights out from three—almost 50% on 3.2 attempts per game. With Redick pushing him to shoot even more, expect that number to go up.
Now that the trade deadline has passed, the Lakers are looking at the buyout market. Haywood Highsmith’s name has come up as a possible target.
Edwin Garcia from Silver Screen and Roll sees Highsmith as a perfect fit. Highsmith had knee surgery after getting traded to the Nets last offseason, had a setback, and hasn’t played this year. The Nets just waived him Thursday morning, but he’s reportedly playing 5-on-5 again and drawing interest. Last season, he averaged 6.5 points and shot 38% from three with the Heat. Shooting like that doesn’t come around often in the buyout market, so if Highsmith’s healthy, he’s interesting.
Rob Pelinka will check out all the options, of course. But on paper, Highsmith could fill a lot of the three-and-d gaps the Lakers have right now.
AARON JONES PUBLICLY RECRUITS AARON RODGERS TO MINNESOTA VIKINGS FOR 2026
Aaron Jones is recruiting Aaron Rodgers to the Vikings, but with Minnesota’s cap issues, will the veteran RB even be there in 2026?
Aaron Jones isn’t hiding it—he’d love to play with Aaron Rodgers again. When someone asked him about Rodgers’ future, Jones just said, “I like him in Minnesota.” That’s straight from VikingzFanPage.
Let’s be real, Jones doesn’t sound too sold on J.J. McCarthy, the Vikings’ current quarterback. Last year, McCarthy threw more picks than touchdowns—12 interceptions to just 11 TDs. Not exactly inspiring confidence.
If you’re a Packers fan, you’ve seen a version of this before. Brett Favre left Green Bay and landed in Minnesota, and back then, that was a big deal. But with Rodgers, it just doesn’t feel the same. The idea of him in purple isn’t really scary.
Here’s the thing: Jones is probably trying to recruit Rodgers to a team he won’t even play for. The Vikings could save $8 million in cap space by cutting Jones, who’s 31 now. Minnesota’s strapped for cash—only one team has less cap space—so nobody should be shocked if they move on from him this offseason.
Even if by some twist Jones stays and Rodgers joins, don’t expect a magical Packers reunion in Minnesota. Rodgers just wrapped up a pretty average season with the Steelers—3,322 yards, 24 touchdowns, seven picks, and a 94.8 passer rating. That’s a far cry from the MVP Rodgers we remember in Green Bay. Honestly, the Packers made the right call when they moved on.
With or without Rodgers, the Vikings are still the least threatening team in the NFC North for Green Bay. The Bears just won the division. The Lions are stacked. Even if Minnesota keeps Jones and somehow brings in Rodgers, it doesn’t change much for the Packers. At this stage in their careers, nobody’s losing sleep over it.
If Rodgers ever comes back to the NFC North, it should only be for a one-day deal so he can retire as a Packer. He brought so much to Green Bay, including that Super Bowl win in 2010. Seeing him in another NFC North jersey? Just wrong.
But if Jones gets his wish and Rodgers ends up in Minnesota, the Packers shouldn’t even flinch. Rodgers and Jones aren’t what they used to be. Their joining forces in Minnesota would just feel desperate, nothing more.