Why are my most recently used files being removed automatically for storage optimization?

I am using a MacBook Pro 15" with macOS Mojave (10.14.6). I have an iCloud storage plan, and the storage optimization settings will automatically remove files from my hard drive that are synced to iCloud in order to preserve disk space. This is fine, but I don't understand how it's deciding what files to select. I am working in a file on a daily basis, and I have to re-download it from iCloud along with all of the other files that are used within it, whereas many other iCloud synced files that I have not opened in months are still on my local hard drive. Is there a way to set prioritization of how files are selected to be removed for storage optimization (i.e., most recently opened, most recently modified, etc.) that I'm not finding? Everything I'm seeing online says that my most recent files will be kept on the hard drive, but it's not been my experience, and it's becoming quite frustrating because it seems to be selecting the ones I'm working in most often to remove.

If there is another article that answers this question, feel free to link me to it. I didn't want to dig through the forums to find it because the topic is a bit obscure and not that easy to search for.