Catching prospects on protected list

The Blue Jays saved five prospects from being taken in this year’s Rule 5 draft, filling their 40-man roster on Friday.

Catchers Riley Adams and Gabriel Moreno, infielder/outfielder Otto Lopez, outfielder Josh Palacios and right-hander Ty Tice were added to Toronto’s major-league roster hours before the deadline for MLB teams to protect players from next month’s proceedings.

Players signed at18 or younger have to be added to their club’s 40-man roster within five seasons or be exposed to the Rule 5 draft, which will be held Dec.10; players signed at 19 or older need to be protected within four seasons.

Three of the five prospects the Jays chose to protect are among the organization’s top 30, according to MLB Pipeline: Moreno, ranked eighth; Lopez, 13th; and Adams, 22nd. Adams, Palacios and Tice could be ready to compete with the big club in 2021. Neither Moreno nor Lopez have played above class-A to date.

Some of the bigger names now vulnerable to selection include infielder Kevin Smith and outfielder Chavez Young, both top-30 prospects. But even if the Jays lose a player or players in the Rule 5 draft, the goodbye might not be for good. The three players selected from the Jays over the past two years — pitchers Jordan Romano, Travis Bergen and Dany Jimenez — were eventually returned to the organization when the selecting teams failed to keep them on their major-league rosters for a full season.

Clubs pay $100,000 (U.S.) to select a player in the draft’s bigleague phase. He must be offered back to his former team for $50,000 if he doesn’t stick with his new team.

The Jays now have five catchers on their roster, with Moreno and Adams joining Danny Jansen, Reese McGuire and Alejandro Kirk. It’s an area of depth they could use in trade talks.

General manager Ross Atkins said last week that the Jays needed to leave some room on the 40-man roster for free agents. Although the roster is now full, that could change soon. The non-tender deadline is next Friday, when players can become free agents if they are not offered a contract. Infielder Travis Shaw and pitcher A.J. Cole are among those who could be non-tendered. Other players can be reassigned, dropped or traded.