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Countdown to Arizona Diamondbacks Opening Day: D-55, Jason Pridie

The NFL season is over, so one less thing to distract us from what matters!

By Jim McLennan
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim v Oakland Athletics Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

We asked you to rank the 40-man roster along with the 16 non-roster invitees to spring training, and every day between now and the eve of Opening Day, we’ll have a profile of one of those Diamondbacks.

D minus 55: Jason Pridie

  • Date of birth: October 9, 1983
  • Ht/Wt: 6’1”, 205 lbs
  • Position: Outfield
  • Status: Non-roster invitee
  • Bats/Throws: L/R
  • 2016 MLB numbers: Did not play
  • SnakePit Rating: 2.60 [pattern of votes below]

This is a homecoming for Pridie, since he’s a local kid. He was born in Phoenix and went to high-school in Prescott, before being drafted by the Rays in the second round of the 2002 draft. He never played there, being part of a trade with the Twins in 2007 involving Matt Garza, but debuted in Minnesota as a September call-up the following season. He only managed a handful of PAs though, and was selected off waivers by the Mets in 2010. Since then, he has bounced around, also being part of the Phillies, Orioles and Rockies, as well as two separate spells with the A's. He appeared in the majors for all of them - so, six separate franchises - but 2011 with the Mets was the only time he played more than 10 times, hitting .231/.309/.370 over 101 games.

Jason spent last year in Japan, signing with the Hiroshima Carp. In spring, he said of his years trying to break into MLB: “There were times where I just thought, ‘is it worth it?’. You know, you do everything you can do, and put up numbers and just be a big league player and not get a shot. Whether it be because of the roster, whether it be because someone’s making money, whether it be because there’s a name on somebody, there are so many different factors. You never think that when you sign. You think, ‘If I play well, I’m going to get there.’ Then as you start playing, you realize that’s not always the case.” But he did not get any time on their active roster either, playing for the ni-gun (minor-league) affiliate and batting .230/.298/.402 over 89 games.

He signed with the Diamondbacks on December 9, but there still appears to be some things he misses about Japan. From his Twitter (@MrPriddles):

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