AL East Squad Open To Moving Former All-Star Pitcher, Should The Angels Get Involved?

Potentially a low-risk, high-reward value here.

As the offseason gets going for the Los Angeles Angels, they have a clear need to build out their starting rotation. They have a few young players to work around, but they also want to be aggressive in upgrading the team.

The Halos understand that to be successful they need better results from their starters, so we could see them look all around for help. One name to keep an eye on is former All-Star pitcher Alek Manoah of the Toronto Blue Jays.

MLB insider Ken Rosenthal is reporting that Toronto may be open to moving him this offseason after a poor 2023 season.

“Some rival executives, speaking on condition of anonymity in order to avoid charges of tampering, say the Blue Jays are open to moving right-hander Alek Manoah. How open remains to be seen.”

Per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic

Manoah really struggled this past season, and it saw him get sent down to the minor leagues. He posted an ERA of 5.87 over 19 starts, which is a far cry from his All-Star campaign in 2022.

He was special for the Blue Jays in 2022, posting an ERA of 2.24 in 31 starts. It led him to finish third in the Cy Young race, so the talent is obviously there.

Why Should the Angels Trade for Alek Manoah?

This is a potentially low-risk, high-reward value for the Angels and they should absolutely get involved if he were to become available. 

Maybe he turns things around and the Halos get an All-Star-level pitcher for their rotation. At worst, he struggles again, and at least the Angels tried to build out the rotation with promise.

“The relationship between Manoah and the Jays appeared to deteriorate last season, when the pitcher regressed from his stellar 2022 campaign. Manoah, 25, twice was sent to the minors and received platelet-rich plasma injections in his right arm to end his season.”

Per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic

Manoah is still fairly young and he would have plenty of time to grow in the Angels organization. The biggest roadblock to any deal is the fact that he is under contract through the 2028 season, which could up his value.

However, Toronto seems to want to move him, and the Angels should be one of the teams vying for his services. He is prime for a bounce back season, and maybe a change of scenery is exactly what he needs.

The Halos have an interesting offseason coming their way, and we could see a ton of movement from them. They understand that they haven't reached the postseason since 2014, and they want to change that narrative this year.