Blue Jays make roster moves in preparation for Rule 5 Draft

The Toronto Blue Jays made a handful of roster moves in preparation for the upcoming Rule 5 Draft on December 10th.

The Blue Jays added five players to their 40-man roster to ensure they are protected during the Rule 5 Draft. The likes of Gabriel Moreno, Riley Adams, Ty Tice, Josh Palacios, and Otto Lopez were all added to the roster.

Both Adams and Moreno are touted backstops who the brain trusts wanted to ensure remain in the organization. The 24-year old Adams was just named the “Best Power Hitter” in the organization by Baseball America. The catcher split 2019 between New Hampshire and Dunedin hitting a combined .261/.366/.443 with 92 hits including 14 home runs in 100 games.

Moreno is just 20-years old but made his professional debut in 2017 and has 154 minor league games under his belt. In 2019, Moreno hit .280/.337/.485 with 86 hits and 12 homers in 82 games with the Lansing Lugnuts. The Venezuela native is also the Blue Jays 8th best MiLB prospect in the organization according to Baseball America.

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Ty Tice could be an option in the Jays bullpen in 2021 as the reliever pitched in both Buffalo and New Hampshire in 2019. The  24-year old made 46 combined appearances posting a 2.34 earned run average with eight saves and a 10.0 SO/9 ratio. Tice has compiled 28 career saves in 113 professional games.

Palacios is an outfielder who spent the 2019 season with the Fisher Cats. The 25-year old hit .266/.371/.416 with 18 doubles, seven home runs, and 15 stolen bases in 82 games. The Blue Jays are very shallow at the outfield position without one in their BA Top 10 Prospect rankings.

The 22-year old Lopez hails from the Dominican Republic and made his debut as an 18-year old in 2017. In 2019, Lopez hit .324/.371/.425 with 145 hits including 30 extra-base hits and 20 stolen bases in 108 games.

The roster additions now put the Jays at their maximum of 40 players and they would be required to make a corresponding move should they acquire or sign any new players.