The Toronto Blue Jays will spend much of the offseason searching for upgrades. Before the biggest additions arrive, however, the organization has decisions to make about pitchers already working toward the majors.
Nolan Perry and Gage Stanifer deserve particular attention. Both pitchers are reportedly Rule 5 eligible, letting another club select them if Toronto leaves them off its major-league 40-man roster.
Sportsnet lists November 17 at 6 p.m. ET as the deadline to protect eligible players on the 40-man roster. Toronto must account for that requirement even while uncertainty surrounds the December labor calendar.
This is a recommendation about roster priorities, not an announcement that either pitcher has been protected. The Blue Jays should evaluate the risk of losing each arm against the value of the player occupying a potential roster spot.
Nolan Perry Gives Toronto a Strong Protection Case
Perry finished 2026 with a 2.50 ERA and 117 strikeouts across 82.2 innings. His minor-league statistics show a productive return after he missed the previous season recovering from Tommy John surgery.
His progress gives Toronto a reason to preserve another possible starting option. Protecting him would not guarantee an immediate major-league role, but it would allow the organization to continue evaluating his development without exposing him to a selection.
Blue Jays Nation’s roster analysis also identified Perry as a strong protection candidate. The same report offered a more complicated assessment of Stanifer, whose results did not match his promising 2025 breakout.
Stanifer posted a 4.83 ERA over 100⅔ innings in 2026 and moved into relief work late in the year. That leaves Toronto weighing his pitching potential against command concerns and uncertainty about the role he will eventually fill. Toronto must evaluate whether a shorter relief assignment makes his command issues easier to manage more consistently.
Toronto Should Preserve Upside Without Assuming Readiness
Stanifer’s uneven season does not settle the decision by itself. The Blue Jays should consider whether his pitches would interest another organization willing to carry him while working on his command. A rival may value traits that an overall ERA does not capture.
Roster protection and major-league readiness are separate questions. Toronto can believe that a pitcher needs more development while still deciding that his future value deserves a 40-man spot. Keeping that distinction clear would help the club avoid rushing either player.
The possible lockout adds another complication. Sportsnet noted that teams protected prospects before the previous labor stoppage, even though that winter’s major-league Rule 5 draft was canceled. Toronto cannot treat a potential cancellation as permission to ignore the current deadline.
External additions will require roster space, making these choices part of the broader offseason plan. The Blue Jays should identify their priority prospects early and evaluate marginal depth accordingly, rather than allowing a late signing to force an avoidable decision.
Perry presents the clearer case, while Stanifer requires a closer evaluation. Protecting useful pitching upside would strengthen Toronto’s winter before any new player arrives.
Blue Jays Must Protect These Pitchers Before Chasing Stars