The Toronto Blue Jays made a tough decision earlier in the week, designating right-handed starter Alek Manoah for assignment. There were parts throughout Manoah’s time with the Blue Jays when he was arguably the best pitcher on their staff.
In 2022, there was an argument to be made that Manoah was one of the top starters in Major League Baseball, posting a 2.24 ERA and 0.99 WHIP in 31 appearances. Ultimately, Toronto decided that it had to part ways with the 27-year-old.
Manoah has dealt with injuries, rough play, and many other factors. At some point, enough was enough.
Could Cubs take a chance on Alek Manoah
As he’s set to hit waivers, no team in the league will have an opportunity to add him in the immediate term, given that the postseason starts soon.
Clubs can add him to the rotation sometime next year.
There should be multiple teams interested, and Jordan Campbell of FanSided wants the Chicago Cubs to be one of them. He noted that the Cubs could use another “reclamation” project, which Manoah is at this stage of his career.
“The Chicago Cubs have been no strangers to poaching reclamation projects during the offseason, and an opportunity to get a former Cy Young finalist may have fallen into their lap. In activating Anthony Santander from the 60-day IL on Tuesday, the Toronto Blue Jays have designated starting pitcher Alek Manoah for assignment. Manoah will now be placed on waivers this week as teams have a chance to begin their offseason shopping early…
“The Cubs almost always have an eye on reclamation projects during the offseason, and at a low cost, Manoah could be a worthwhile gamble. If the Cubs can fix him, they have a clear top-of-the-rotation starting pitcher. If not, they can end the experiment in a similar way that the Blue Jays did,” he wrote.
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A first-round pick in the 2019 MLB Draft, Manoah’s highs can rival many. Unfortunately, the lows have been very ugly, something other teams will have to consider if they want to claim him.
