In hockey those numbers are often worn by the likes of Jaromir Jagr or Eric Lindros, but in baseball, they re given to players who are merely hoping to catch somebody s eye.
Every club has at least a dozen NRIs.
Some teams, like the Reds, have more NRIs than the Diamondbacks have uniform combinations, although less than a handful have even a slim chance of wearing the team colors come April Fools Day. NRIs generally fall into two groups. The first group is the hot prospects. Some high draft choices have it written in their contract that they ll attend major-league spring training. Some hook up with a particular team because they have relationships within that organization that could lead to post-career employment.