Just a few months after the Blue Jays designated Alek Manoah for assignment, the former All-Star is back in the American League. The Los Angeles Angels have agreed to sign Manoah, giving the 27-year-old righty a shot at redemption after a difficult 2025 campaign.
A Look at Manoah
The 2025 campaign was a difficult one for Alek Manoah, who started the year on the IL. Manoah, after experiencing elbow problems in 2024, ultimately needed UCL reconstruction and delayed his season start.
When Manoah returned, it was a mixed bag. As we noted in September, Manoah’s velocity was down in Triple-A Buffalo. His average velocity sat in the 91-92 MPH range after sitting above 93 MPH in his first outing with the Bisons. He wound up posting a 2.97 ERA in seven outings but got himself in a lot of trouble at times, as Manoah walked 18 over 33.1 IP.
Amidst a roster crunch, Manoah was demoted in September once his rehab assignment was up. Ultimately, Toronto DFA’d Manoah shortly thereafter.
The Braves claimed him in September but did not retain him. Atlanta non-tendered Manoah in November, allowing him to hit free agency.
It concluded a rocky stint with the Blue Jays, highlighted by an All-Star appearance in 2022. That season, Manoah was a rock for the Jays, as he tossed 196 innings, won 16 games, limited well-hit contact, and posted a sub-3.00 ERA.
From that point onward, Manoah struggled with pitch effectiveness, as the velocity was down in 2023, and he got hit hard. He had well-documented struggles to maintain his conditioning. The Blue Jays demoted him to rookie ball that year to try to get back on track.
The velocity returned in 2024. However, he also gave up a lot of well-hit contact, despite the sub-4.00 ERA. Manoah gave up five home runs over 24.1 IP two years ago before he underwent surgery.
Manoah’s pitch mix has stayed the same since he first made his MLB debut. The right-hander, now 27 years of age, throws a four-seam fastball with cut and carrying action. He’ll work high and low between the two-seam and four-seamer, the former of which was a good saw-off option to run in on right-handers.
Additionally, Manoah can change up on hitters with a mid-to-high-80s changeup and a sweeper-like breaking ball that’s categorized as a slider.
Per reports, the Angels signed Alek Manoah to a one-year deal worth $1.95MM. If he sticks at the MLB level for all of 2026, Manoah would have one year of team control left.
Analysis
The Angels already made one notable starting pitcher acquisition this winter, trading away Taylor Ward to get Grayson Rodriguez. Now, the Angels grab Manoah on a low-risk deal, even though it is a Major League contract.
Manoah will make less than the $2.2MM he received in his year of arbitration eligibility in 2025. And, if it works out, the Angels could bring him back in 2027.
As for Manoah, he’ll get a chance to make a rotation that heads into next season with promising young pitchers but also opportunity. Assuming Rodriguez is a go for Opening Day 2026, he would headline an Angels rotation that includes Yusei Kikuchi and Jose Soriano, with two spots to spare.
Jack Kochanowicz, Mitch Farris, and Caden Dana all got run in the Angels’ rotation in 2025. Prospects George Klassen and Sam Aldegheri are also among the rotation options for 2026 and beyond.
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