Five players the Blue Jays could lose during the Rule 5 Draft this offseason

Friday evening was the deadline for the Blue Jays to add players to the 40 man roster to protect them from the Rule 5 Draft, scheduled to happen in early December during the GM Meetings. The club decided to add four players to the roster yesterday: RHP Hagen Danner, RHP Bowden Francis, LHP Zach Logue, and INF Leo Jimenez while also picking up RHP Shaun Anderson off of waivers.

While the Jays 40-man roster is not full, they are taking a gamble on a few players who could be picked up by other teams when the Rule 5 Draft happens this offseason. With the CBA set to expire on December 1st, if there is indeed a lockout, the draft would be pushed until after a new CBA is put into place.

Here are five players in the Blue Jays farm system who could be picked up by other teams during the Rule 5 Draft this offseason.

RHP Joey Murray

Known for his elite spin rate on his fastball, right-hander Joey Murray has amassed a pretty solid minor league career since being drafted in the eighth round back in 2018. Being used as both a starter and a reliever, Murray has pitched to a 2.69 ERA through 41 appearances with 209 strikeouts and a 1.136 WHIP.

He missed most of last season due to injury but could be an option for other teams considering he spent roughly one-third of his 2019 campaign in AA and was most likely going to be in AAA if it wasn’t for the injury troubles. Murray is currently ranked as the Blue Jays #25 ranked prospect.

RHP Eric Pardinho

The Blue Jays top international signee from the 2017 class, right-hander Eric Pardinho was starting to gain some steam in the lower minor league levels before undergoing Tommy John surgery last year. Delays in his rehab set back his debut in 2021 and the Lucelia, Brazil product only appeared in two games this season before returning to the injured list with elbow issues. Through three seasons in the minors, Pardinho has crafted a 2.48 ERA through 21 appearances and 90.2 innings with 103 strikeouts and a 1.103 WHIP.

While the recent injury troubles might scare off some teams, non-playoff contenders could see the potential Pardinho has and try to keep him on the Major League roster just long enough to acquire his rights (without having to return him back to the Jays) and then drop him back down to the minors for further development, similar to what the Blue Jays did with Elvis Luciano a few years back.

With the Friday deadline now come and gone for Rule 5 roster protection, the Blue Jays have a few players other teams may be interested in this winter.

RHP Kyle Johnston

Acquired in 2019 from the Washington Nationals in exchange for Daniel Hudson, right-handed starter/reliever Kyle Johnston is one player other clubs may be keeping tabs on after an outstanding 2021 campaign. Splitting his time between AA/AAA, Johnston made 35 appearances (nine starts) and finished with a 1.57 ERA and 55 strikeouts through 69.0 innings.

Teams looking for a solid right-hander as a bullpen arm with starting experience could take a flyer on Johnston, as the former Longhorns alum has put together solid numbers during his minor league career, a 3.80 ERA through 104 games. His route to the big leagues most likely runs through the bullpen compared to being a starter but his flexibility might be one reason a club selects him in the upcoming Rule 5 Draft.