The Toronto Blue Jays have effectively given up on Alec Manoa after all.
Toronto had recently signaled its intentions to trade Manoa.
After the season ended, it appeared that Toronto would include Manoa in their plans for next season, but it appears that a trade is in the works.
Why would Manoa, who finished third in the 2022 Cy Young Award voting, be traded just one year after being sent to the minors?굿모닝토토
Manoa entered the 2023 season with high expectations. After finishing third in the American League (AL) Cy Young Award voting in 2022, Manoa was expected to anchor Toronto’s pitching rotation. He was considered an ace.
But his 2022 season was a 180-degree turnaround. He started on Opening Day, but was pulled early after giving up five runs on nine hits, including two home runs, in 3.1 innings.
It was thought to be a one-off, but things got progressively worse. By April and May, Manoa had won just one game in 13 starts, posting a 6.36 ERA and 42 strikeouts in that span.
Toronto brass hoped Manoa could find his form, and on June 7, they sent him to the minor league Florida complex.
A month later, Toronto called him back up to the majors. In six starts, Manoa posted a 4.91 ERA, a 2-2 record, and a 1.82 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
Still unable to find his form, Toronto demoted him to Triple-A on August 12. He hasn’t taken the mound since.
Manoa’s poor performance could have been due to injury, or it could have been due to the effects of the pitch clock introduced this year. It could have been something else that only Manoa knows.
The fact that Toronto waived Manoa, who is only 25 years old, suggests that they can no longer afford to keep him. Maybe Manoa asked the team for a trade.
This is an unfortunate end for the former 2019 first-round pick and Toronto.
If Manoah were to hit the trade market, teams would be salivating. He’s young, and he’s the third-best pitcher in baseball.