The Los Angeles Angels have already made a few significant moves to start the offseason. They traded Taylor Walls to the Baltimore Orioles for the oft-injured pitcher Grayson Rodriguez. On Tuesday, they made a similar gamble on a pitcher. The Angels have signed former Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Alek Manoah to a one-year deal.
“Right-hander Alek Manoah and the Los Angeles Angels are in agreement on a one-year, $1.95 million contract, a source tells ESPN. Manoah, 27, was non-tendered by Atlanta and lands with the Angels on a fully guaranteed big league deal,” ESPN's Jeff Passan reported.
Manoah has not pitched in the majors since May of 2024 due to elbow injuries. With the Blue Jays in the midst of a World Series run and trading for Shane Bieber, they moved on from Manoah. The Atlanta Braves picked him up after that, but he never pitched in the organization. Now, the Angels are taking a gamble on the pitcher who finished third in Cy Young voting in 2022.
Anthony Rendon is no longer with the Angels, ending one of the worst contracts in the history of baseball. That could open up some money for the Halos to spend in free agency, although history would tell fans that is unlikely. Despite a poor season last year, they have added some high-ceiling gambles to their pitching staff.
Manoah finished third in Cy Young voting in 2022, behind Justin Verlander and Dylan Cease. He posted 16 wins with a 2.20 ERA, leading the Blue Jays to a 92-win season. But he struggled in his playoff start against the Seattle Mariners, allowing four runs in 5.2 innings.
There are plenty of great pitchers available, including Framber Valdez and Tatsuya Imai, in free agency. Manoah was a low-cost option for the Angels, something their fans are all too familiar with. What else will they do in the offseason?
