DUNEDIN, Fla. -- The battle for the fifth spot in the rotation is a breath of fresh air for the Blue Jays, not just because of their depth, but because they spent much of the 2019 season without one.

Offseason splash Hyun-Jin Ryu will anchor a rotation with Tanner Roark and Chase Anderson, while Matt Shoemaker -- who the Blue Jays are being cautious with after he tore his ACL in his left knee last season -- rounds out the top four. This will make life easier for manager Charlie Montoyo and allow Toronto to structure its bullpen in a more traditional manner, primarily with one- or two-inning arms.

“The competition for the fifth spot is going to be pretty good, and that’s only going to make us better,” Montoyo said. “I’m excited about seeing the kids competing for those spots, even for the bullpen. That’s going to be exciting.”

Japanese right-hander Shun Yamaguchi will be part of this picture, too, and he intends on competing for the job. But he could also fill a variety of bullpen roles, and external additions can’t be ruled out entirely through camp.

All in all, these five young holdovers from 2020 will be right in competition:

Trent Thornton
The pitch: A known commodity who held his own in 2019

Thornton had his inconsistencies last season, but his 154 1/3 innings and 29 starts comfortably led Blue Jays pitchers. Nobody expected that entering the season, and Thornton quietly emerged as a legitimate option. The right-hander was tinkering with some pitch grips and mixes late last season, and there’s a lot of raw talent there for pitching coach Pete Walker and the Blue Jays to work with.

“I caught Trent Thornton the other day, and I know Thornton had a great year last year -- but he looks real strong,” said catcher Danny Jansen. “He's definitely a little bit of a different man coming in. He's got a little fire.”

Anthony Kay
The pitch: A lefty with velocity, a high-spin curve and strikeout potential

Kay and Thornton share some similarities, but Kay trails in Major League experience. He did get a taste over 14 innings last season (5.79 ERA), and posted a 2.96 ERA over 133 2/3 innings between Double-A and Triple-A. The club’s top left-handed pitching prospect might be the “upside play” of the group, and Montoyo commented several times in 2019 that he liked his ability to attack with velocity.

Ryan Borucki
The pitch: When healthy, 2018 and his prospect pedigree still count

Borucki has dealt with elbow tightness early in camp, so his status is on hold for now. If he’s let loose again soon, the Blue Jays hope to see the mature young lefty who posted a 3.87 ERA over 17 starts in 2018.

“I feel strong. I’ve had a lot of improvements in my lower body, my core, my shoulder work and everything,” Borucki said, downplaying any worry over his elbow. “Obviously, the throwing program went really well.”

Jacob Waguespack
The pitch: A 2019 surprise with a versatile arm

Waguespack’s 4.38 ERA in 2019 didn’t get much spotlight as the 6-foot-6 right-hander had his ups and downs, but the flashes were definitely there. His high point was seven innings of one-hit ball against the Dodgers in August. Given that he could be used in a bullpen role as well, he gives the Blue Jays some valuable options.

T.J. Zeuch
The pitch: A ground-ball pitcher who keeps his infielders engaged.

Another towering right-hander, Zeuch has the ability to post a ground-ball rate north of 50 percent. His Minor League rate of 6.4 strikeouts per nine innings means he has to walk a tightrope at times between ground balls and hard contact, but the Blue Jays believe he can increase that number. Zeuch’s 2018 season (3.17 ERA across two levels) was him at his best.