TORONTO -- The Blue Jays have not lost a player through the Major League portion of the Rule 5 Draft since 2010, but that could change this year.
Toronto had a long list of prospects eligible for the Rule 5 Draft, which will be held Dec. 14, and there were only so many spots on the 40-man roster to offer as protection. The inevitable numbers crunch left several intriguing players on the outside looking in following Monday's deadline to set the roster.
Catcher Danny Jansen, catcher Reese McGuire, right-hander Conner Greene, left-hander Thomas Pannone and first baseman Rowdy Tellez were protected. Here's a closer look at some of the top talent in the Blue Jays system who were left exposed:
RHP Jordan Romano
The Blue Jays took Romano in the 10th round of the 2014 Draft. At the time, many experts believed he was destined for the bullpen, but like a lot of legitimate pitching prospects, Romano has spent most of his time developing as a starter. Romano, the Blue Jays' No. 19 prospect as ranked by MLBPipeline.com, missed all of 2015 after undergoing Tommy John surgery but bounced back the following year. This season, he posted a 3.39 ERA while striking out 138 batters over 138 innings for Dunedin. Romano has never pitched above Class A, so bringing him straight to the big leagues might seem like a stretch, but it's possible he could be stashed in someone's bullpen.
RHP Andrew Case
Case became a feel-good story for the Blue Jays when he signed with the club following an appearance at Toronto's amateur T12 Tournament at Rogers Centre in 2014. There have been some question marks about his upside but so far the native of Saint John, New Brunswick, has gotten the job done at every level. In 2017, Case made the jump to Double-A New Hampshire and he posted a 1.58 ERA over 40 innings. His strong year continued with 10 scoreless innings in the Arizona Fall League and his stock appears to be rising in the weeks leading up the Rule 5. It's not hard to envision another team taking a chance on him here but whether he sticks in the big leagues will be up to his performance.
LHP Angel Perdomo
Perdomo represented the Blue Jays at last year's Futures Game, and he's ranked Toronto's No. 30 prospect. Perdomo has the ability to hit 94 mph with his fastball, but the slider and changeup still need work. He made 16 starts for Dunedin this season and went 5-6 with a 3.70 ERA while striking out 65 over 75 1/3 innings. There's no question he needs more time to develop, but left-handed pitchers with upside are a rare commodity, and that creates an outside chance another team gambles on him as a piece for the bullpen.
C Max Pentecost
Pentecost, the organization's No. 8 prospect and arguably is the biggest name on this list, but he also might be the player least likely to be selected. The former 11th overall pick of the 2014 Draft has battled a countless number of injuries over the years and has yet to play a full season since joining the organization. Pentecost has undergone multiple shoulder surgeries, and by the end of this season, he still was not catching in back-to-back games. Despite all of that, the upside is clear. Pentecost has all of the tools required to become an elite defensive catcher and his .766 OPS for Dunedin this year shows there's some potential with the bat. A rebuilding ballclub might gamble, but it seems highly unlikely a catcher who has never appeared above Class A could stick in the big leagues all year.
Gregor Chisholm