For a second straight year, the Toronto Blue Jays have taken on a reclamation project through the Rule 5 Draft. On Wednesday afternoon (Dec. 10) at the Winter Meetings in Orlando, Florida, the Blue Jays selected right-handed pitcher Spencer Miles from the San Francisco Giants. The 25-year-old Miles will now have a chance to make it to the big leagues after two major surgeries stopped his progress.
Blue Jays take a chance on pitcher Spencer Miles in Rule 5 Draft after dual surgeries
The Blue Jays selected Angel Bastardo from the Red Sox last year, and he spent all of 2025 rehabbing from Tommy John surgery in Toronto’s system. He’ll need to spend at least 90 days on the active roster in 2026 for that investment to stick, otherwise he must be offered back to Boston. But there’s real competition in camp now as Miles joins the group. To be eligible to be drafted in the Rule 5 Draft, players who signed at 18 or younger must have made the 40-man roster within five seasons and players who signed at 19 or older within four.
The right hander never pitched in affiliated ball during the 2025 regular season, as he was rehabbing, but he was able to pitch in the Arizona Fall League alongside some fellow prospects. Miles ended up making five appearances in Arizona, throwing 8.2 innings with a 4.15 ERA while striking out 12 batters and walking just one.
A fourth round pick out of the University of Missouri in the 2022 draft, Miles has struggled to stay healthy throughout his young career. He’s undergone two major surgeries, including a Tommy John surgery last year and a back surgery, so the Blue Jays are taking a flier, hoping he stays healthy.
All that being said though, he got up to 98.4 mph on his fastball, once he returned from his prolonged rehab. He offers a four-pitch mix, headlined by his fastball that sits in the mid-90’s, and sharp sinker that preforms well against right-handed batters. He throws an upper-70s curveball that misses a ton of bats, while also featuring a low-80s slider that he uses to pound the zone.
Per MLB.com’s Keegan Matheson, assistant GM Mike Murov said that Miles will get a shot as a reliever, competing for a spot in Spring Training. With a fresh opportunity in Toronto, Miles is exactly the kind of upside move that the Blue Jays have targeted in previous Rule 5 drafts. The outcome simply comes down to whether he can stay on the mound. If he does, Miles has the stuff to turn the move into a legit, big-league payoff.
