Alek Manoah is returning to the big leagues with an opportunity to renew the once-promising career he was beginning in Toronto.
The former Blue Jays first-round draft pick, whose mercurial career ended up in him being released by the team in September, has signed a one-year deal with the Los Angeles Angels.
ESPN’s Jeff Passan reports that the big right-hander will earn $1.95 million US, and that the contract is a fully guaranteed big-league deal. While that contract doesn’t guarantee him a spot in the rotation for the American League West team, it certainly gives Manoah the opportunity he was hoping for.
The signing comes just weeks after the Atlanta Braves non-tendered the 24-year-old Florida native last month. The Braves picked up Manoah after the Jays released him in September, but he never had an opportunity to pitch for the team.
Manoah certainly has some work to do to prove himself as a bona fide big-league starter, but at least his latest landing provides an opportunity to renew the promise he showed with the Jays in 2021 and 2022.
In the latter of those two seasons, Manoah was good enough to be named to the American League all-star team, and at the time he seemed to be headed to ace status with the Jays.
But after struggling in 2023 — which included a demotion to the minors — Manoah ran into injury trouble in 2024 before establishing himself in the Jays rotation. Selected 11th overall by the Jays in the first round of the 2019 draft, Manoah appeared to be headed back to success in 2025, pitching for triple-A Buffalo before the Jays released him.
Jays general manager Ross Atkins didn’t elaborate on why the team cut ties with Manoah.
“These are always tough decisions,” Atkins said after the team released Manoah. “This just came down to a roster crunch. We chose others over him, obviously.”