"A player selected in the Rule 5 draft must spend the entirety of the season on the 26-man roster, or else he has to be offered back to his former team (in this case, the San Francisco Giants and Boston Red Sox respectively). Now, I'm no mathematician, but the math isn't adding up. With six or seven spots locked down between Eric Lauer, José Berríos, Jeff Hoffman, Tyler Rogers, Yimi García, Louis Varland, Braydon Fisher, and Brendon Little, one of these two players will likely return to their original team, if not both."
"Even though Bastardo was selected in the 2024 Rule 5 draft, due to him spending the entirety of the 2025 season on the 60-day Injured List, the same rules apply for the 2026 season. The right-handed pitcher missed the 2025 season because of Tommy John surgery, which he received in the summer of 2024. Bastardo was originally slated to represent the Blue Jays at the Arizona Fall League, but he evidently had a setback."
"He last pitched with the Red Sox's Double-A team in 2024, where he had a 5.36 ERA and 4.28 FIP in 45.1 innings pitched, starting all 10 games he appeared in. There's strikeout potential there as well, as he finished the 2024 season with a 26.6 K%, although his BB% resided at 10.6%. Bastardo features a mid-90s fastball, but his best pitch is his changeup. The 23-year-old also features a slider and curveball, but struggles with command at times."
The Blue Jays have eight relief spots for Opening Day with six or seven effectively locked by established pitchers. Rule 5 selections must remain on the 26-man roster for the full season or be offered back to their former clubs. Angel Bastardo, a 2024 Rule 5 pick, missed 2025 on the 60-day IL after Tommy John surgery, so the Rule 5 requirement still applies in 2026. Bastardo showed strikeout upside in Double-A (26.6 K%) but had a 5.36 ERA, 4.28 FIP and a 10.6 BB%. Bastardo throws a mid-90s fastball, changeup, slider and curve but struggles with command, making roster opportunity limited. Spencer Miles was selected in the 2025 Rule 5 draft.
Read at BlueJaysNation
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