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Looking at which Rule 5 Draft-eligible prospects the Blue Jays may add to the 40-man roster
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Photo credit: © Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
Cynthia Ryley Delaney
Sep 27, 2026, 11:00 EDTUpdated: Sep 26, 2026, 21:44 EDT
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The Toronto Blue Jays’ off-season begins following Sunday’s season finale on Sunday.
It’s going to be a very busy off-season for the team, as they need to change their offensive approach, sign two good bats, and add some starting pitching depth. All of this needs to be done with a possible lockout beginning on December 1st.
Last time there was a lockout, there was no Rule 5 Draft. Despite that, the Blue Jays added a handful of prospects to their 40-man roster to protect them. It stands to reason that a similar situation will happen this off-season, even if there is no Rule 5 Draft.
There are a handful of notable prospects who are Rule 5 eligible, seven of which rank on MLB Pipeline’s top 30 list. Notable prospects who are Rule 5 eligible are Gage Stanifer, Josh Kasevich, Nolan Perry, RJ Schreck, Daniel Guerra, Jay Harry, Victor Arias, Brandon Barriera, Tucker Toman, Nick Goodwin, Jace Bohrofen, and Josh Stephan.
That begs the question, which Rule 5-eligible prospects will be added to the 40-man roster?

Which Rule 5-eligible prospects will be added to the 40-man roster

Stanifer, Perry, Kasevich, Guerra, Schreck, Harry, and Arias are the seven prospects who rank in the top 30 of MLB Pipeline’s top 30 list. Of the 12 players listed, all five players with a chance to be added are top 30 prospects.
Had Schreck remained healthy this season, he could’ve gotten a look in the big leagues. However, he appeared in just 70 games this past season, hitting 10 home runs and posting a 114 wRC+, down from his 143 wRC+ in 2025. It’s unlikely that Schreck will be selected in the Rule 5 Draft.
Likewise, Arias had a tough season in his first full year in Double-A. Over 92 games with the New Hampshire Fisher Cats, the left-handed batting outfielder slashed .220/.278/.367 with 10 home runs in 375 plate appearances, good for just a 70 wRC+. There’s next to no chance Arias is drafted.
Barriera is Rule 5 eligible, but the Blue Jays’ 23rd-overall pick in 2022 has struggled to remain healthy in his professional career. Toman had a breakout in High-A, but struggled in his 22 Double-A games. Bohrofen has plenty of power when healthy, but he once again missed a large chunk of the season.
Goodwin had a sneaky good season in the upper-minor, slashing .263/.363/.464 with 12 home runs in 424 plate appearances. He’s also the type of position player a team adds in the Rule 5 Draft, as he can play multiple positions. But he doesn’t have the same prospect shine as others.
Stephan was acquired from the Texas Rangers ahead of the 2026 trade deadline. He had a tough season in Triple-A, but has the ceiling of a back-end-of-the-rotation starter thanks to great command.
Those are the prospects who likely won’t be added, but what about those who have a chance? Well, Perry is all but a lock to be added to the 40-man roster as he emerged as a top 100 prospect in baseball this year. Over 82.2 innings of work between Single-A, High-A, and Double-A, Perry posted a 2.50 ERA and 3.27 FIP, with a 36 K% and 9.8 BB%.
Stanifer isn’t quite a lock, but he’s a good bet to be added as well. The 22-year-old broke out in 2025 and became a top 10 Blue Jays prospect. His 2026 season wasn’t as good, finishing the year with a 4.83 ERA and 4.74 FIP in 100.2 innings of work. Toward the end of the season, Stanifer moved to the bullpen as the Jays potentially could’ve used him later in the season. Stanifer is a high-strikeout, high-walk type of pitcher, but has the stuff to be a big leaguer.
Guerra was in the same boat as Stanifer, beginning the season as a starter with the High-A Vancouver Canadians. Over 78.1 innings of work, the 22-year-old finished the season with a 3.33 ERA and 4.08 FIP, with a 32.3 K% and 12.1 BB%. With a plus fastball, a team may take a flier on Guerra if he’s not protected.
The last two Rule 5-eligible players worth noting are two position players, Harry and Kasevich. Harry had a breakout season, slashing .298/.343/.495 with 14 home runs in 429 plate appearances in 105 games. What could make him intriguing to other teams is his positional versatility, the type of position player a team targets in the Rule 5 Draft.
Kasevich is your prototypical defence-first, hit-over-power type of shortstop. Over 130 games with the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons in 2026, the infielder slashed .282/.364/.363 with four home runs in 572 plate appearances, paired with strong defence.
Cynthia Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for Blue Jays Nation, DFOEdmonton, and DFOCalgary. She can be followed on Twitter @CynthiaRDelaney.
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