Blue Jays Lose 29-Year-Old Backstop To AL West Contender

The Toronto Blue Jays have spent the second half of the season making a series of roster adjustments as they try to navigate a crowded American League playoff race. That has included adding experienced players, creating opportunities for younger talent and making difficult decisions on players who no longer fit the organization’s longer term plans ahead of the trade deadline.

But catching depth became one of the areas of focus this week. After getting Alejandro Kirk back from the injured list and enjoying the emergence of Brandon Valenzuela, the Blue Jays had had acquired 29-year-old backstop Willie MacIver earlier this season after he was designated for assignment by the Texas Rangers, giving the organization another option behind the plate while continuing to develop its roster at Triple-A Buffalo.

MacIver, 29, never appeared in a major league game for Toronto, however, and his time with the organization ultimately ended with another trip through the waiver process.

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Ultimately, the Blue Jays made MacIver available for other teams on waivers as their big-league roster already has two proven options in Kirk and Valenzuela.

“MacIver, 29, has a limited big league track record,” Darragh McDonald noted for MLB Trade Rumors. “He got into 33 games with the Athletics last year and made 111 plate appearances, producing a .186/.252/.324 line in those. He has generally performed well in the minors, however, and clearly has appeal as a depth option.”

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That appeal was enough for the Seattle Mariners to take a chance on him. On Wednesday, the Mariners claimed MacIver off waivers from the Blue Jays and assigned him to Triple-A Tacoma, giving him another opportunity to work his way toward a major league roster.

The move represents a quick change of scenery for MacIver.

“In April, the (Texas) Rangers designated him for assignment and the Jays sent cash to Texas in order to grab him before he hit the wire again,” McDonald added. “He got squeezed off the Toronto roster this week, which led to this waiver claim.”

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While his major league resume remains limited, MacIver's minor league production helps explain why the Mariners were willing to use a waiver claim on him. He has spent much of his professional career working to establish himself as reliable organizational catching depth, and Seattle now has the chance to see whether that production can translate into a bigger opportunity.

MacIver slashes just .186/.252/.324 over 33 big-league games with the As, but the Mariners recently cut Mitch Garver, creating the need for another backstop in the organization. Though his time with the Blue Jays was short-lived, the team could see him again in the future in an American League matchup.