What to know about the Blue Jays 3 new non-roster invitees

The Toronto Blue Jays begin spring training in less than a week, and there will be some new faces when pitchers and catchers report for spring training at the team's complex in Dunedin, Florida, on Feb. 13.

Alongside the noticeable newcomers like right-handers Max Scherzer and Jeff Hoffman will be a swath of non-roster invitees, which includes promising names to get excited about. In addition to the original list of 16 non-40-man roster players who received an invitation to camp, the Blue Jays have added three more names: right-hander Andrew Bash and catchers Matt Whatley and Robert Brooks.

Blue Jays' new non-roster invitees include Bisons' 2024 Pitcher of the Year

Bash, 28, put together an impressive 2024 season in Triple-A Buffalo. After beginning the year as a starter for the Bisons, the former 30th round draft by the Los Angeles Angels missed six weeks with a forearm injury and came back as a reliever for the final two months of the season.

Before his injury, Bash posted a 3.69 ERA with 53 strikeouts in 53 2/3 innings over 14 games (13 starts). After returning and joining the Bisons' bullpen, he had a 1.44 ERA with 19 strikeouts in 25 innings across 13 appearances. He ended up finishing the year with a 2.97 ERA with Buffalo and received the team's Warren Spahn Most Valuable Pitcher Award, per Brian Frank of The Herd Chronicles.

Bash was an under-the-radar candidate for a September call-up last season, but never got the call. He'll have another chance to impress the Blue Jays' front office and coaching staff in his second year in big league camp.

Whatley, 29, is a former third-round pick of the Texas Rangers in 2017. He joined the Blue Jays after spending seven seasons in the Rangers' farm system, and was, at one point, ranked as their No. 23 prospect by MLB Pipeline. Unfortunately, his most recent results from Triple-A aren't encouraging. He hit .199 with a .614 OPS, five home runs and four stolen bases in 50 games in 2024.

Brooks, 26, split the 2024 season between High-A Vancouver and Double-A New Hampshire. He got off to an impressive start with the Canadians, hitting .262 with an .816 OPS and four home runs in 27 games. After a promotion to the Fisher Cats, he struggled to find the same success at the plate, hitting .203 with a .637 OPS and a pair of homers in 23 games. The most alarming stat from his time in Double-A is the 37.3 percent strikeout rate.