Blue Jays are starting to whittle down the numbers in Major League training camp

Spring training may feel like it has just begun for the Toronto Blue Jays after just a week and a half of action. However, training camp cuts are already underway as the Blue Jays started to whittle down the numbers from their Major League cohort on Tuesday.

According to Keegan Matheson of MLB.com, some of the Blue Jays’ top prospects are on the move. Left-handed pitcher Adam Macko has been optioned to the Blue Jays’ Triple-A affiliate Buffalo Bisons, whereas right-handers Fernando Perez and Gage Stanifer have been assigned to their Minor League camp. All three pitching prospects currently rank among the top 21 prospects within the Blue Jays organization as per MLB Pipeline.

Blue Jays are starting to whittle down the numbers in Major League training camp

For Macko, it will likely take a little longer for him to report to Buffalo as he will be representing Team Canada at the 2026 World Baseball Classic. The 25-year-old left-hander has had a solid spring to date, holding his opponents hitless with two walks and two strikeouts in three innings of work.

Last year with the Bisons, Macko posted a 3-8 record with a 5.06 ERA, 1.52 WHIP, while striking out close to a batter per inning over 18 appearances that included 10 starts. He will likely begin the 2026 season there once again where he will serve as valuable starting pitching depth for the organization while he awaits his call.

In the case for Perez, he put together a strong 2025 minor league campaign split between High-A Vancouver and Double-A New Hampshire. In 26 starts, the 22-year-old right-hander compiled a 6-7 record with a tidy 3.04 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, with 105 strikeouts in 121.1 total innings pitched. This spring, Perez has struggled a bit, giving up five runs (although just one earned) on four hits in 2.2 innings of work. He will get the opportunity to work more on the growth and development of his game in the minors this upcoming season.

As for Stanifer, he was named one of the Blue Jays’ biggest prospect breakout in 2025 after ascending three minor league levels to Double-A New Hampshire by the end of the season. In 27 appearances that included 16 starts, the breakout prospect posted an 8-6 record, 2.86 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, while yielding only four home runs all year along with 161 strikeouts in just 110 innings pitched.

However, Stanifer has recorded an underwhelming 16.20 ERA and 1.80 WHIP in two relief appearances for the Blue Jays this spring, and he will begin the year in Double-A where he left off last season.

More cuts will likely to come in the coming weeks. But with a fair number of Blue Jays participating at the World Baseball Classic, some remaining players in camp could get longer looks than usual, giving them the rare opportunity to show Jays management the potential value that they can provide in the long run.