The Blue Jays announced they have chosen to sign a left-handed pitcher. Adam Macko. Today is the deadline for clubs to add players to their rosters so they will not be eligible for next month’s Rule 5 Draft. Ali Alexander of KPRC 2 The move was reported before the official announcement.
Macko, who turns 23 next month, was a seventh-round pick of the Mariners in the 2019 draft. In the years following that selection, he was unable to pitch many innings due to both the pandemic and injuries. From 2019 to 2022, he pitched a total of 95 innings and posted a 3.98 ERA. Although his walk rate was high at 12.5%, he was able to strike out a large number of batters, striking out 35% of the batters he faced.
The Blue Jays were clearly intrigued and acquired him from the Mariners. Eric Swanson on a transaction sent Teoscar Hernandez I moved to Seattle a year ago. Macko’s first season with his new club went well, pitching 86 innings in 20 High-A starts. His 4.81 ERA may not seem all that impressive at first glance, but he allowed just 10.8% of his walks while striking out 28.5% of his opponents. He also kept 44.8% of his batted balls on the ground. His .327 batting average and 63.9% strand rate in play were both on the unfortunate side of average, which is why his 3.97 FIP exceeded his ERA by almost a full run.
Macko hasn’t reached Double-A yet, but the Jays apparently thought he had at least a chance of attracting Rule 5 attention. Instead, they would give him a roster spot and set him up as a pitcher who is going to work his way to his major league debut.