DETROIT, MI – JULY 25: A detailed view of a Toronto Blue Jays equipment bag sitting in the dugout prior to the start of the game against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park on July 25, 2025 in Detroit, Michigan. The Blue Jays defeated the Tigers 6-2. (Photo by Mark Cunningham/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Toronto Blue Jays enjoyed a run all the way to Game 7 of the World Series this past season thanks in large part to some homegrown star talent.
Superstar slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and franchise shortstop Bo Bichette enjoyed excellent regular seasons and some clutch moments in the Fall Classic to help their team get as close as possible to winning it all. But another former standout rookie for the Blue Jays took a different turn this season, as the team decided it could no longer wait for him to capture his previous form.
After selecting Alek Monah with the 11th overall pick in the 2019 Major League Baseball Draft, the Blue Jays enjoyed a strong debut season from the pitcher in 2021. Manoah posted a 3.22 ERA across 20 starts in his rookie campaign, then earned an All-Star nod and Cy Young Award votes for a stellar 2.24 ERA, 31 start season in the following year.
Unfortunately, injuries derailed Manoah’s young career. He made just 19 starts in 2023, then only five starts in 2024. As he rehabbed his elbow in Triple-A this past season, the Blue Jays opted to designate him for assignment, ending what was once a very promising career with the team in brutal fashion.
The Atlanta Braves picked him up but then, in another harsh turn for the pitcher, they cut ties with him shortly after.
“The Braves were willing to take a chance on the big hurler, who finished third in American League Cy Young Award balloting in 2022,” Mark Bowman wrote for MLB.com. “The Braves opted to take a chance on the possibility he might return to form during the 2026 season. But the two sides parted ways when an agreement wasn’t reached…”
After being rejected by two teams in relatively short order, though, Manoah has now found a home with an American League West team that could be a few winter moves away from contending next season.
“Right-hander Alek Manoah and the Los Angeles Angels are in agreement on a one-year, $1.95 million contract,” ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported. “Manoah, 27, was non-tendered by Atlanta and lands with the Angels on a fully guaranteed big league deal.”
Monah’s deal might not be very significant but, more important than the money, it will give the former Blue Jays All-Star the chance to return to a major league mound and try to get his career back on track.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/peterchawaga/2025/12/02/blue-jays-former-all-star-joins-al-west-after-brutal-roster-decision/
