Ryan McCarty is out, and John Schneider's organization just made another quiet but telling infield cut at Triple-A.
The Blue Jays' transaction log shows Buffalo released McCarty on June 16. That ends his run in Toronto's system less than 1 year after he reached Triple-A.
This is not a move that shakes the big-league clubhouse. It is the kind that tells you how fast roster pressure builds once a system starts crowding up at the upper levels.
McCarty had been with the Bisons this season and was carrying a .229 average with a .379 on-base percentage and a .622 OPS over 70 at-bats. He was getting on base, but the overall damage never really showed up.
That matters more in Triple-A than it does at the lower levels. A 27-year-old infielder in Buffalo usually needs to force the issue with either louder offense or clearer defensive value. This last sentence is an inference based on McCarty's age, level, and role.
McCarty's career line in the minors still shows some useful production. Over 1,235 at-bats, he hit .240 with 30 home runs, 130 RBIs, and a .711 OPS.
That is solid organizational depth. It is just not always enough to keep a spot once the Triple-A roster starts getting squeezed from both directions. This is an inference based on his career numbers and the release.
Toronto's upper-level infield picture got tighter
The timing says plenty. Buffalo activated Yariel Rodriguez on the same day, moved Conor Larkin to the Development List, and also got C.J. Stubbs back from the 7-day injured list, which shows how active the Bisons roster was already becoming.
McCarty had also been moving around the system this year. His transaction page shows assignments between New Hampshire and Buffalo, plus a stint on the Development List in April before returning to the Bisons.
That kind of movement usually tells you a player is valued as depth, but it also means he is living close to the line when the organization needs a spot. This is an inference based on his repeated assignments and the release.
McCarty originally signed with Toronto on July 26, 2022, and climbed as high as Buffalo after stops with Dunedin, Vancouver, and New Hampshire. He even earned NWL Player of the Week honors with Vancouver in 2024.
So this is not nothing for the player. He spent nearly 4 years in the Blue Jays pipeline and worked his way to Triple-A, which is still real progress even if the last step never came.
For Toronto, the message is simple. Ryan McCarty was useful depth, but the Blue Jays decided the Buffalo roster needed the spot more than it needed to keep the shortstop around.
Will Ryan McCarty catch on with another organization this season?
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