Beer, Varsho score D-backs invites

Seth Beer and Daulton Varsho have visions of joining the Major League team in Arizona -- and they will, but only in Spring Training for now.
The D-backs extended non-roster invitations to Major League Spring Training camp to No. 96 overall prospect Beer and No. 100 Varsho on Tuesday.

This will be Beer's first Spring Training camp with the D-backs. Arizona acquired the 23-year-old slugger from the Astros in last year's deadline deal for Zack Greinke. The 2018 first-rounder was off to a stellar start in his first full season in the Houston system with a .309/.410/.564 line and 25 homers in 98 games between Class A Advanced Fayetteville and Double-A Corpus Christi at the time of the trade. He faded after the trade, however, posting a .205 average and .615 OPS in 24 games with Double-A Jackson. Beer did bounce back nicely in the Arizona Fall League, where he hit .315/.375/.452 over 19 games with Salt River.
The former Clemson standout split time between left field and first base during the regular season but played first exclusively in the AFL. Beer has always been an offense-first player with hit and power tools that have the potential to be above-average. If he does remain at first base, the pressure on his bat to produce will increase. MLB.com recently ranked Beer as the fifth-best first-base prospect in baseball.
In the same pre-2020 rankings update, Varsho clocked in as MLB.com's No. 9 catching prospect, with an unusual skill set for the position. The 23-year-old backstop is considered an above-average runner -- he's stolen 40 bases over the last two seasons -- and also has above-average hitting potential from the left side. Varsho batted .301/.378/.520 with 18 homers and 21 steals over 108 games for Jackson in 2019. He was named a Southern League mid-season and end-of-season All-Star and was also selected to the All-Star Futures Game last July.

Concerns about his arm could force a change in position for Varsho, but Arizona still lists him as a catcher in its non-roster invite announcement.
The other ranked D-backs prospects to receive non-roster invitations Tuesday were No. 7 Geraldo Perdomo, No. 11 J.B. Bukauskas, No. 21 Josh Green and No. 27 Jeremy Beasley. The other invitees were catcher Dominic Miroglio; infielders Drew Ellis, Juriel Querecuto and Pavin Smith; outfielders Ben DeLuzio, Travis Snider and Yasmany Tomás and pitchers Miguel Aguilar, Mauricio Cabrera, Matt Grace, Eduardo Jiménez, Damien Magnifico, Joe Mantiply, Keury Mella, Matt Peacock and Jimmie Sherfy.