5 players whose 40-man roster spot is in jeopardy after Yariel Rodriguez signing

Yariel Rodriguez's addition to the Blue Jays' 40-man roster means there are 41 players fighting for 40 spots. Who is the odd man out?

Sep 24, 2023; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA;Toronto Blue Jays relief pitcher Trevor Richards (33)
Sep 24, 2023; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA;Toronto Blue Jays relief pitcher Trevor Richards (33) | Kim Klement Neitzel-USA TODAY Sports
2 of 5

RHP Zach Pop

The 2023 season began with such promise for Pop. The right-hander followed up a 1.89 ERA campaign in 2022 with a strong showing in spring training, eventually securing a spot on the Opening Day roster. He made a total of 15 appearances early on in the regular season, posting a 6.59 ERA and 66 ERA+ thanks to 11 runs (10 earned) on as many hits in just under 14 innings of work.

A hamstring strain in early May took Pop out of game action for a while, as he did not get activated until July. He was subsequently optioned to Triple-A and didn't resurface again at the game's top level. By the time Pop was ready to be activated, the Blue Jays had put together a strong bullpen and just didn't have a spot to fit him in anymore.

Down in Buffalo, Pop's numbers didn't instill much confidence, which undoubtedly played a part in his lack of a promotion near season's end. In 31 outings, he posted a 5.05 ERA and struggled to get batters out with any real consistency. It felt like he had fallen out of the club's graces by the end of the year, so it wouldn't be shocking to see him DFA'd now that a spot needs opening on the 40-man.

Schedule