Pirates’ decision to move Charles McAdoo keeps aging poorly as Blue Jays call him up

The Toronto Blue Jays did well to restock their prospect cupboard during a 2024 trade deadline sell-off, including pilfering Charles McAdoo from the Pittsburgh Pirates in a swap that has aged poorly for the Bucs.

The infielder was acquired for utilityman Isiah Kiner-Falefa, and has risen to the top level of the minor leagues before it was announced that the 24-year-old will be called up ahead of the team’s game against the Baltimore Orioles on Thursday night. The Blue Jays placed Lenyn Sosa on the 10-day IL as the corresponding move.

McAdoo was a rising prospect in the Pirates' system at the time of the trade and was slashing .269/.347/.490 with five home runs, 11 RBI, and an .838 OPS across 27 games with the Altoona Curve, Pittsburgh’s Double-A affiliate, after starting the season at the High-A level. 

Blue Jays cashed in on IKF's best season

The former 13th-round draft pick stumbled out of the gate with his new team, hitting just .185 with a .609 OPS in 37 games with the New Hampshire Fisher-Cats to finish off the 2024 campaign, but has shown steady improvement ever since, leading up to his call-up to the show. 

After hitting .247 with 16 homers, 24 doubles, 45 RBI, and a .732 OPS in a full season in Double-A in 2025, McAdoo got an extended look at Toronto’s big league camp, with several regulars playing for their respective countries at the World Baseball Classic. 

The right-handed hitter was sent to Triple-A Buffalo to start this season and responded by hitting .247 with eight home runs, 27 RBI, and a .789 OPS over 50 games. He’s continued to show speed on the basepaths, with seven stolen bases in 10 attempts, bringing his minor league total to 67 swipes in 82 tries (81%). In a telltale sign of an imminent promotion, McAdoo has also begun to receive some playing time at second base, after spending the bulk of his career as a corner infielder. 

The fact that the Blue Jays landed this ascending talent in exchange for Kiner-Falefa, an elite fielder but a below-average hitter, was a stroke of genius by the front office. IKF was one of the bright spots over the first four months of the 2024 season, hitting .292 with 17 extra-base hits and a .758 OPS (114 OPS+), and a 3.1 bWAR through 83 games. 

That unparalleled run of production (career OPS+ 82) allowed Toronto to capitalize on its fire sale by landing a young talent that should be able to help them for the next several years. The trade swung further to the Blue Jays’ side after Kiner-Falefa was placed on waivers and claimed by Toronto in late August. The former Gold Glove winner was a part of the club’s stretch run and extended postseason drive. 

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