Blue Jays chose pitching depth over performance in demoting Adam Macko

The Toronto Blue Jays activated Dylan Cease from the injured list on Tuesday, sending reliever Adam Macko to Triple-A Buffalo as the corresponding move. 

Cease looked healthy and dominant in his return to the mound. He struck out 11 Philadelphia Phillies over six innings of one-run ball, a game which the Blue Jays eventually won in walk-off fashion after two elite closers stumbled. 

Macko’s demotion was a surprise, given how well he pitched during his first stint of major league action. The young Canadian allowed just two earned runs across 12 innings while being deployed in a variety of roles and situations out of the bullpen. 

Roster management at the major league level is always tricky. Still, the message behind this decision is clear: the Blue Jays chose pitching depth over performance.

Why did the Blue Jays send Macko down?

The simplest answer as to why Macko was sent down is that he has minor league options. He could be demoted without consequence. It’s the same reason why the Blue Jays demoted Davis Schneider rather than designate Lenyn Sosa for assignment earlier this season.

That situation was more complicated because both Schneider and Sosa were struggling. That wasn’t the case with Macko and some of the alternatives, but that doesn’t mean there wasn’t some nuance to it, either. 

The immediate question when Macko was sent down was, why not DFA Connor Seabold instead? He hadn’t shown himself to be someone the organization desperately needed to keep. That was promptly answered when the Blue Jays did exactly that to activate Max Scherzer from the injured list on Wednesday. Macko got sent down first because he pitched on Monday and likely wouldn’t have been available on Tuesday anyway. 

Keeping newly-acquired Simeon Woods-Richardson over Macko is the more curious decision. While yes, he impressed with four scoreless relief innings in his team debut on Monday night, the Blue Jays are now down to one left-handed reliever—Mason Fluharty—in their bullpen. That isn’t ideal with a series against the southpaw-heavy New York Yankees on deck. 

Woods-Richardson’s long-term role on the team is unclear. In the short term, he’s likely to be an insurance policy for the 41-year-old Scherzer, who wasn’t effective when he pitched before getting injured. The two could work in tandem with Woods-Richardson in a piggyback role. But Spencer Miles could also do that, given how he’s been stretched out thus far, and, more importantly, with how much better he has performed. The Blue Jays now effectively have two right-handed “bulk guys” in their bullpen. 

While designating Woods-Richardson for assignment after one great appearance with the team would have been awkward, it’s hard to argue that the Blue Jays are better equipped to win baseball games with Macko gone. He was proving himself to be a reliable contributor with desirable handedness. 

Macko will probably be back sooner rather than later. Still, it’s a shame to see him wind up as a victim of this roster crunch given how well he performed and the upcoming schedule. 

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow