The Braves have claimed right-hander Alek Manoah off waivers from the Blue Jays, according to announcements from both clubs. Toronto designated him for assignment earlier this week. To open a 40-man spot for Manoah, Atlanta transferred infielder Ozzie Albies to the 60-day injured list.
Manoah, 27, has been trending down for a few years but is a former Cy Young contender. In 2022, he made 31 starts for the Blue Jays, tossing 196 2/3 innings with a 2.24 earned run average. That ERA was probably a bit misleading. Manoah’s 6.5% walk rate was good but his 22.9% strikeout rate was only about average and his 37.5% ground ball rate was subpar. He benefited from a .244 batting average on balls in play and 82.6% strand rate. Adjusted metrics like his 3.35 FIP and his 3.85 SIERA thought he was more good than great. Regardless, Manoah finished third in American League Cy Young voting, behind Justin Verlander and Dylan Cease.
A major correction came in the following season. Manoah was optioned to the minors in early June of 2023 after posting a 6.36 ERA in his first 13 starts. His strikeout rate had dropped to 17% while his walked rate had climbed to 14.9%. He came back up to make a few more starts in the second half but finished the year with a 5.87 ERA over 19 starts.
Going into 2024, there were some trade rumors surrounding Manoah but he ended up staying with the Jays. He missed the start of the season due to some shoulder soreness. He was able to come off the IL in May and made five decent starts, with a 3.70 ERA, 25.2% strikeout rate and 7.8% walk rate. However, he then required Tommy John surgery, putting him out of action for the rest of the year.
Here in 2025, Manoah has been working to get back on track but it hasn’t been an encouraging return. He has thrown 38 2/3 innings in the minors this year, mostly on rehab but the Jays also eventually reinstated him from the IL and optioned him. His 3.96 ERA in those minor league innings isn’t bad but his 19.6% strikeout rate and 12.8% walk rate are both poor. He has only been averaging 91 miles per hour on his fastball, whereas he was around 94 mph in that great 2022 season.
This was Manoah’s first of three arbitration seasons and he is making $2.2MM. Since he hasn’t pitched in the big leagues this year, he should be in line to make the same salary next year. The Jays recently needed a 40-man spot to reinstate Anthony Santander from the 60-day IL and they bumped Manoah off. That seems to suggest they weren’t planning to tender Manoah a contract and keep him around for next year.
He’s a sensible flier for another club to take. A salary between $2MM and $3MM is tiny by modern starting pitching standards. Soft-tossing veterans like Kyle Hendricks and Wade Miley each signed for $2.5MM last offseason. If Manoah can regain some of his lost velocity next year, there would be the added upside of him being controllable in 2027 as well. He also still has options, meaning he could be stashed in Triple-A as depth if he still isn’t back on track by March of next year.
That makes it somewhat surprising that a few clubs passed on Manoah. Waivers go in reverse order of the standings and are not league specific. With Atlanta winning the claim, it can be concluded that the Rockies, White Sox, Nationals, Twins, Pirates and Angels all passed. Some of those clubs have decent pitching, despite their poor records. But a few of those teams are desperate for arms, particularly the Rockies, who have a 6.02 ERA this season. Given their difficulties in convincing free agents to pitch at Coors Field, it’s a bit startling to see them shrug here.
More to come.