Last year, Toronto decided not to protect anyone and opted for Angel Bastardo, who spent the entire season on the IL while rehabbing from Tommy John surgery. The only casualty from the Jays’ side was Garrett Spain, who was taken in the Minor League by the Milwaukee Brewers.
The Blue Jays currently have 37 players on the 40-man roster, giving the Jays some leeway to add players, whether that be through free agency or through protections for in-house players. Additionally, some bubble roster players could get DFAs, but that’s a route the Jays should consider at this point given the three open spots.
Ricky Tiedemann – LHP
When it comes to sure bets, the Jays adding Ricky Tiedemann seems like one of them. The former top 100 player worked his way up the minor league ladder before an elbow injury landed him on the IL in 2024 and ultimately underwent Tommy John surgery. He missed all of 2025 while rehabbing and should be good to go into the new year.
Ricky Tiedemann has started throwing bullpens at the Dunedin Development Complex again!
Over three seasons in the minors, Tiedemann has a 3.02 ERA and a 1.079 WHIP over 140 innings, with injuries limiting his time on the mound since being called up in 2021. When healthy, he is a strikeout artist, posting a 14.5 K/9 with 226 strikeouts across all four levels of the Jays system.
Tiedemann should be in line for a rotation spot next spring if the Jays don’t add another arm, but he will at least be one of the next arms on the roster in Triple-A Buffalo in 2026.
Yohendrick Pinango – OF
Outfielder Yohendrick Pinango, acquired at the 2024 trade deadline in exchange for Nate Pearson for the Cubs, posted strong numbers in his first full season under the Blue Jays banner. Entering the year in New Hampshire, Pinango posted a .298/.406/.522 slash line with eight home runs and 10 doubles, earning him a promotion to Buffalo in early June.
From there, Pinango finished the campaign with a .235/.335/.379 slash line, seeing a decline in power (seven home runs and 19 doubles) compared to his Double-A numbers. He was still an effective hitter with a .714 OPS and was a solid arm in left field, but he will be a first-type player at the next level.
Josh Kasevich – INF
The 2025 season was a tough one for infielder Josh Kasevich. He started the year on the IL due to a stress reaction in his back and found himself back on the IL in mid-August, limiting him to just 42 games over the past year across three levels. Through 136 plate appearances, he compiled a .228/.331/.243 slash line with a .574 OPS, and he just wasn’t himself this season. He did get some at-bats in the Arizona Fall League and bounced back with Glendale to the tune of a .255/.419/.255 slash line with 17 walks and a .673 OPS.
It’s not hard to imagine a world where Josh Kasevich contributes to the @BlueJays this postseason, but a back injury disrupted his season. Toronto’s No. 12 prospect, who entered ’25 with a torrid bat, is finally feeling 100% in the AFL: atmlb.com/4hg6rLM
He’s a contact bat through and through and should start next season in Buffalo with the potential for some Major League at-bats later this year as a bottom line. He also has a strong eye at the plate and consistently draws strong walks.
Shielding him from the Rule 5 Draft makes even more sense if Bichette doesn’t return, as Kasevich could be an option for the Jays’ bench if they don’t find a replacement on the open market. They’ll have to make that decision before Bichette makes his, but overall it seems like a strong idea to have Kasevich in the system, and he could be picked up this winter if he remains unprotected.
Ryan Jennings – RHP
Previously used as a starter, Jennings was strictly a reliever in 2025, pitching to a 3.72 ERA over 58 innings and 45 appearances. He did well in Double-A New Hampshire, but struggled a bit with the Bisons and saw his ERA rise to 4.25 over 36 innings. He was hit a little harder against more advanced bats (8.9 H/9), and he finished with an increased WHIP of 1.690.
Protecting Jennings makes sense because of his high strikeout numbers, which hit 12.7 K/9 at both levels last year. Even when he was hit harder with Buffalo, he still knocked out 54 bats, showing he can be an effective arm if he keeps his command in check (6.7 BB/9). Jennings is still a bit raw, but giving him another year in Buffalo could yield some very strong results that could see him hit the major leagues sometime in 2026. His command issues may see him pass without being claimed, but a strong argument can be made that the strikeout stuff warrants a spot on the 40-man roster.
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