The Rule-5 draft is, without a doubt, a very interesting gamble for Major League teams to take.<\/p>\n
On one hand, you can take a player and mould them into a part of your organisation, but other times it does not work out in your team\u2019s favour. Sometimes you may even have to return the player to the team you selected them from.<\/p>\n
In the 50 Years of the Toronto Blue Jays<\/a>, 24 Rule 5 selections have been made by the team, and of them a lot of them turned into key pieces for the team\u2019s successes over the years. Spencer Miles<\/a> is the most recent selection the club made this offseason, and with him making the opening day roster, Toronto feels they have something with the 25-year-old right-hander. While there are always hits and misses among the Rule 5 draft, let\u2019s look at some that worked out positively.Kelly Gruber 3B, 1983<\/p>\n Without a doubt, the most recognisable name here, Gruber, was selected from the Cleveland Guardians organisation in 1983 after being drafted 10th overall in the 1980 entry draft. What followed next was the Blue Jays finding one of their most important infielders of the 80s and 90s for the ballclub.<\/p>\n In 9 seasons with Toronto, Gruber hit .259 with 114 home runs, 434 RBIs, and stole 80 bases. He was a two-time All-Star as well as a Silver Slugger and Gold Glove winner in 1990. He also finished fourth in MVP voting in 1990, finishing behind Roger Clemens, Cecil Fielder, and Rickey Henderson.<\/p>\n Gruber was a part of the first World Series in Blue Jays history in 1992 and is forever looked at as one of the best third basemen to ever play for the franchise.<\/p>\n SS Manuel Lee, 1984\u00a0<\/p>\n The following year, in 1984, the Blue Jays selected Manny Lee from the Houston Astros. While Lee did not have as many accolades as Kelly Gruber, during Lee\u2019s eight seasons in Toronto, he played in 753 games, hitting 19 home runs and 199 RBIs. Lee posted a career-best 3.2 WAR in 1992, serving as the team\u2019s starting shortstop during the World Series run.<\/p>\n RHP Jos\u00e9 N\u00fa\u00f1ez, 1986<\/p>\n Two seasons after Manny Lee, Jos\u00e9 N\u00fa\u00f1ez was picked in the Rule 5 draft, originally with the Kansas City Royals.\u00a0 After signing with the Royals as an international free agent in 1983, he was taken by the Blue Jays and was used as both a reliever and starter for the club for the 1987 season. After a 5.01 ERA in 37 games in 1987, N\u00fa\u00f1ez stayed with the Jays for two more seasons in 1988 and 1989, where he pitched in 19 more games for the organisation. While a 4.40 ERA in 56 games across three seasons is not the most successful stat line, he was an arm who panned out and was a depth pitcher for the Blue Jays as they worked towards winning the American League in 1989.<\/p>\n RHP Aquillino L\u00f3pez, 2002<\/p>\n Over 20 years later, is where we look at our next Rule 5 selection in Aquillino L\u00f3pez. Another international free agent signed by the Seattle Mariners, L\u00f3pez was brought into Toronto to help an aging and struggling bullpen. In 2003, he was the best reliever out of the bullpen as he put up a 3.42 ERA in 73 and two-thirds innings, and later took the closing duties away from Cliff Politte.<\/p>\n Unfortunately, after a strong rookie season and the Blue Jays retaining his rights in 2004, L\u00f3pez was released from the Blue Jays the following season after posting a 6.00 ERA in 18 appearances.<\/p>\n