The Toronto Blue Jays made a roster move on Thursday adding 23 year old right handed pitcher Reidier Gonzalez to their 40 man roster.

The move protects Gonzalez from being taken in the Rule 5 Draft which approaches on December 10th 2009.

Players considered eligible for the Rule 5 Draft include those not on a 40-man roster who signed with a major league ball club at age 19 or older and have been with an organization for four years, or those who signed at 18 years old or younger and have been in pro ball for five years.

Any player selected in the Rule 5 Draft must be kept on the receiving team’s active 25 man roster for the entire season, or be offered back to the original club.

Gonzalez was selected by the Blue Jays in the 19th round of the 2005 First Year Player Draft.

Last season Gonzalez sported a record of 4-6 with a 2.90 ERA in 17 starts at Double-A New Hampshire.

The Jays currently have 38 of their 40 man roster filled with expectations that they will use the two remaining spots to protect Rule 5 eligible players from being taken.

Players in the Jays organization who are currently unprotected are 24 year old catcher Brian Jeroloman, 25 year old shortstop Scott Campbell, 22 year old outfielder Wellington Ramirez & 20 year old outfielder Johermyn Chavez.

Jeroloman was selected by Toronto in the sixth round of the 2006 First Year Player Draft and is considered one of the best defensive catchers in the Blue Jays system.

This past season, Jeroloman hit .217 with six home runs and 32 RBIs in 108 games at Double-A New Hampshire and is scheduled to undergo hip surgery this offseason.

Campbell was selected in the 10th round of the 2006 Draft by the Blue Jays.

Last season Campbell hit .272 with three home runs and 28 RBIs in 84 games split between Class A Dunedin, Double-A New Hampshire and Triple-A Las Vegas.

Ramirez hit .317 with four homers and 39 RBIs with 29 doubles and 17 stolen bases in 73 games split between Class A Auburn and Class A Lansing in 2009. The Blue Jays signed Ramirez as a non-drafted free agent in 2003.

Could Lyle Overbay's stint as a Blue Jay be over?

Chavez was signed as a non-drafted free agent by Toronto in 2005.

In 134 games with Lansing this past season, Chavez hit .283 with 21 homers and 89 RBIs.

Chavez received the R. Howard Webster award at the end of the season, honoring him as the Most Valuable Player with Class A Lansing.

The two roster spots may also be left open in case the Jays make a trade that see them receive more than one player in return for a single player, for example Lyle Overbay (speculation going around that the Jays will move him before the 2010 season starts) being traded for more than one player.

The roster spots may also be left open so the Jays may pursue free agents on the open market which officially opens today.

The Jays do not look to be very active on the free agent market, but plan on being involved in the trade market as they look to rebuild according to general manager Alex Anthopoulos.

This could spell the end of ace and Toronto favorite Roy Halladay, as well as Overbay suiting up in a Jays uniform next season.

Expect big moves around Major League Baseball beginning today as major league teams are now free to negotiate contracts with players who filed for free agency, but as far as the Jays are concerned keep your eyes open for some big time trade talk and speculation.