Examining Spencer Miles and Angel Bastardo’s chances of making Blue Jays’ Opening Day roster

Earlier on Monday, we looked at which relievers would fill which roles, with about six or seven spots locked down barring an injury or trade. With only eight relief spots available, come Opening Day, the Blue Jays are going to need to make a handful of tough decisions.

One of which is regarding their two Rule 5 relievers: Spencer Miles and Angel Bastardo. A player selected in the Rule 5 draft must spend the entirety of the season on the 26-man roster, or else he has to be offered back to his former team (in this case, the San Francisco Giants and Boston Red Sox respectively).

Now, I’m no mathematician, but the math isn’t adding up. With six or seven spots locked down between Eric Lauer, José Berríos, Jeff Hoffman, Tyler Rogers, Yimi García, Louis Varland, Braydon Fisher, and Brendon Little, one of these two players will likely return to their original team, if not both.

Even though Bastardo was selected in the 2024 Rule 5 draft, due to him spending the entirety of the 2025 season on the 60-day Injured List, the same rules apply for the 2026 season. The right-handed pitcher missed the 2025 season because of Tommy John surgery, which he received in the summer of 2024. Bastardo was originally slated to represent the Blue Jays at the Arizona Fall League, but he evidently had a setback.

He last pitched with the Red Sox’s Double-A team in 2024, where he had a 5.36 ERA and 4.28 FIP in 45.1 innings pitched, starting all 10 games he appeared in. There’s strikeout potential there as well, as he finished the 2024 season with a 26.6 K%, although his BB% resided at 10.6%.

Bastardo features a mid-90s fastball, but his best pitch is his changeup. The 23-year-old also features a slider and curveball, but struggles with command at times. Whether the Jays use him as a starter or a reliever, it’s hard to see Bastardo getting much opportunity with the reigning American League pennant winners.

Miles was selected in the recent 2025 Rule 5 draft, but the 25-year-old right has thrown just 14.2 innings pitched since the Giants drafted him in the fourth round of the 2022 draft. He missed all of the 2023 season, most of the 2024 season, and all of the 2025 season due to injury. Well, that was until he pitched eight and two-thirds in the Arizona Fall League.

There, he posted a 4.15 ERA in those 8.2 innings pitched, finishing with a 32.4 K% and 2.7 BB%. It’s easy to see what the Jays like in the right-handed pitcher, as he averaged 95 mph (touched 98.4 mph) on his fastball during the AFL. He also threw an effective cutter, changeup and curveball, all while avoiding hard contact and showing excellent command.

With how much competition there is in the Blue Jays bullpen, it’s hard to see either pitcher making it unless there are injuries. Miles has the better shot as his stuff plays so well in relief, but it would not be surprising if both players are offered back to their original team.

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