Teams are calling Blue Jays to try to trade for Alek Manoah: report
For the past few months, mystery has mostly surrounded the future of Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Alek Manoah.
Last appearing in any game action on August 10 in a 4-3 loss to the Cleveland Guardians, information about the 2022 Cy Young candidate has been rather limited.
Back in September, Sportsnet’s Ben Nicholson-Smith reported that “Manoah’s lingering physical issues are leading him to prioritize rest and recovery in the hopes that his health would benefit in the short- and long-term.”
While his struggles at the major league level were widely documented, it’s still not exactly clear if he’ll regain the form that made him one of the sport’s most dynamic pitchers in his first full year in the league.
But according to MLB Insider Jon Morosi, teams have been calling Toronto to see if they can acquire Manoah in a trade.
During an appearance with JD Bunkis today on Sportsnet Fan 590, Morosi posited that the Jays have heard offers for the pitcher after he struggled through 2023.
“I do think that teams are calling about Alek Manoah,” Morosi said.
Manoah had a 3-9 record with an ERA of 5.87 in 19 appearances this season, pitching just 87.1 innings for the Blue Jays while bouncing up and down between the MLB and the minor leagues.
However, while Toronto might be fielding the calls, nothing seems to be imminent with the team shipping him out of town.
“It’s always a challenge when you make a trade when you had someone whose value was so high, and then valued so low, it’s hard for parties to get together and agree on what a fair price is,” Morosi added.
For the time being, Manoah seems to be working out with the aim of joining the Blue Jays in spring training for the 2024 campaign.
“To be honest, I think he went through some things in spring [training],” Manoah’s teammate Kevin Gausman said on a recent episode of the Foul Territory podcast. “I think he got off to a late start physically in spring — his shoulder just wasn’t — listen, the guy pitched almost 200 innings in his first full year as a starting pitcher. I’ve only gotten that close one time in my career.”
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