Leo De Vries doesn’t say much. And neither does the Athletics. But his appearance on the non-roster invite list for Spring Training 2026 comes at a sensitive time, making it impossible for those following the team to view it as normal.
On the surface, it’s just a familiar move: inviting promising prospects to train with the first team, giving them a taste of MLB atmosphere sooner than expected. But if you look closely at the Athletics’ overall picture right now, De Vries’s inclusion is like a piece of the puzzle placed on the chessboard earlier than anticipated.
The Athletics enter 2026 with a young, energetic, but also high-pressure core. The rebuilding process has been going on long enough that expectations are no longer exempt. Fans are no longer asking “when will things get better?”, but are starting to ask “when will we see results?”. In that context, every personnel decision—even in Spring Training—carries multiple layers of meaning.
Leo De Vries is at the heart of these layers of meaning. As the biggest piece the Athletics acquired in the Mason Miller trade, De Vries represents not only the future but also a publicly wagered trade. His High-A and Double-A records are good enough to inspire confidence: consistent ball contact, disciplined plate approach, and strength far from immature for his age. But the question is: did the Athletics really need to bring him into the MLB environment so early?
There’s been no official statement saying De Vries will be competing for a first-team spot. No one has confirmed he’ll debut soon. This silence, paradoxically, is what makes the story noteworthy. Because when an organization is in transition, they usually choose either to carefully protect their prospects or to proactively “accelerate the pace.” The inclusion of De Vries—along with a host of other young players—leads many to wonder which option the Athletics is leaning toward.
This year’s non-roster invite list is full of talent: Tommy White, Joshua Kuroda-Grauer, Henry Bolte, and Euribiel Angeles all have different development stories. On the mound, Gage Jump has emerged as a strategic asset, Jamie Arnold appears after a year… without a professional game, and Wei-En Lin is on the verge of a breakthrough. All of this creates a crowded, youthful, and somewhat congested spring training camp.
It is precisely this “crowding” that is worth considering. When so many prospects are simultaneously brought into the spotlight, the question isn’t just who is more ready—but who is being put under pressure sooner. Spring Training is considered a testing ground, but it’s also where organizations inadvertently send messages about priorities.
And then we return to Leo De Vries. His arrival was quiet, without promises, and without a massive media campaign. But precisely at a time when Athletics needed a signal for the near future, that name was placed in the right spot — close enough to see, but not yet clear enough to fully understand the intention.
Perhaps this is just a cautious move. Or perhaps it’s the first sign of a larger plan, where the line between “development” and “promotion” is blurring. And if so, the question is no longer whether Leo De Vries is ready — but whether Athletics is ready for the consequences of this decision?
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