Six Players Selected from Toronto in Rule V Draft

After spending the first three days getting players, Toronto's Winter Meetings delegation was helplessly on the other end during Thursday morning's Rule 5 Draft.

As one of seven teams with rosters frozen at 40, the Blue Jays could not actively participate in the selection of unprotected Minor League veterans.

However, Toronto's farm system was raided for two of the 12 selections made in the two-round draft, costing the Jays a couple of right-handed pitchers.

Stephen Andrade, 28, was the third selection in the draft, chosen by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays off the Double-A roster of New Hampshire.

James Vermilyea, 23, was selected by the Boston Red Sox at No. 10, off the roster of Triple-A Syracuse.

The 6-foot-4, 195-pound Vermilyea split the 2005 season between New Hampshire and Syracuse, going a cumulative 6-3 in 43 games, including eight starts.

The 6-foot-1, 190-pound Andrade is more accomplished, but has also spent more time in the Minors. In 35 relief appearance for the Fisher Cats last season, he posted a sharp 1.97 ERA. He has spent his entire five-year career in the Minors as a reliever.

The Blue Jays were one of three teams to lose two players in the Major League phase of the draft, along with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Kansas City Royals.

Ten of the dozen players selected were pitchers.

The Blue Jays receive a compensatory payment of $50,000 for each player they lost. Andrade and Vermilyea must be carried on their new teams' 25-man roster all season or be offered back to Toronto for a $25,000 refund.

The Blue Jays also lost SS Eugenio Velez, OF Jayce Tingler, and C Joey Reiman in the Triple-A phase of the draft, as well as LHP Dewon Day in the Double-A phase.