Who Will the Jays Select with the 5th Rule 5 Pick?

With the Jays holding the 5th selection in this year's rule 5 draft, coming up Monday at the Winter Meetings, I thought we should at least take a peak at who they may be interested in and why. For those who don't understand how the rule 5 draft works, here's a link to MLBTR who explain it very well. The one key portion to remember is that if the team who acquires a player wants to keep that player the entire season, they must keep him on their 25-man roster. He can't be taken off for any reason. If the team doesn't want him any more, he has to clear waivers and be offered back to his original team if he clears them.

Here are 6 excellent candidates for the Blue Jays this year:

1- Yohan Pino SP CLE, will be 27 in Dec 2010 6'3" 158 lbs
Yohan pitched 127 innings, had 122 Ks, and only walked 29 guys. His whip was outstanding at 1.094. He pitched half of his innings in AAA, proving himself at the highest level of the minors. He must be built like a coiled spring because he listed to weigh 158 ;bs at his 6'3" height. Either way, he gets guys out, and with the possibility of Doc leaving the Jays, they could use a couple of SP options that are ready to pitch for a team that gives them an opportunity.

2- Arquimedes Caminero RP FLA (RHP), will be 23 in June 2010 6'4" 185 lbs
61 Ks in 40 IP is the stat that stands out the most when looking at Caminero. The fact that RP can be used in situations that fit them best helps his cause since he can be used appropriately until he builds up confidence. He is a little wild, walking 26 hitters in 2009, but that's something that happens to a lot of young pitchers who throw 95-98 MPH as he does. Relievers move more quickly up the ladder and moving to MLB would be a huge step for Caminero, but he has the strength and demeanor to be a huge asset for a pen and needs to be seriously considered in the rule 5.

3- Chad Tracy 1B/OF TEX, will be 25 in July 2010 6'3" 205 lbs
The son of Colorado Rockies coach Jim Tracy, Chad offers the Jays some power and versatility as a bench player. He hit 26 HRs in 2009 and drove in 107 RBI while playing in AA. His OBP was .333 and he maintained a decent .279 average, which is decent for someone who drives the ball as hard as he does. A total of 59 of his 149 hits were for extra bases, and he added 5 stolen bases. With no power hitters remaining in AA and AAA once you expect Dopirak and Ruiz to remain with the Jays, you have to think the Jays would jump at the chance to add a 25+ HR guy.

4- Robinson Chirinos C CHC, will be 26 in Jun 2010 6'1" 185 lbs
 The Jays are not getting Rod Barajas back unless he doesn't get a multi-year offer on the market. Adding Chirinos would allow the Jays to let JP Arencibia mature a little more in AAA and provide a little more offense at the position than Chavez offers. He hit a total of .295 in 2009 and had 32 extra base hit in only 262 AB. He hit 11 HRs and had an awesome .396/.519/.915 line between HiA and AA. He continues to hit well in the Venezuelan winter league with 7 HRs and a .333 avg in 111 ABs. The key in Robinson's case is that he's agile and atheletic enough to play in the infield.

 5 - Michael McBryde CF SF, will be 25 in March 2010 6'1" 195 'bs
With the Jays OF lacking speed, and the Jays missing a true lead off type player, Michael should be a huge target for AA and the Jays. Michael is ready to take on a role as a reserve OF player and has some much needed speed for the Jays OF to add. He's proved himself at all minor league levels and has excellent range in the OF. He hit .295 with 22 doubles, 3 triples, 5 HRs, and 22 SBs. He managed the following, .333 OBP/.410 SLG/ .742 OPS.

6- Aaron Breit SP SD, will be 24 in April 2010 6'4" 205 lbs
Aaron is younger than Yohan and has yet to prove himself at the higher levels, and struggled a bit more, but still has a lot of upside. He has a ton of potential and had a breakthrough season in HiA last year. HE had 110 SO in 107 IP, walked 45 batters and held up a 3.51 ERA and 1.375 whip.