Bold truth: even the most hyped prospects can stumble, and Alek Manoah’s rebound attempt with the Angels is a high-risk, high-reward move worth watching. Here’s a uniquely worded rewrite that preserves every key detail and nuance while expanding with clarity and context.
The Angels have landed Alek Manoah on a one-year, $1.95 million major-league deal, signing a pitcher once viewed as the future cornerstone of Toronto’s rotation. The 2022 American League All-Star will try to reboot a career marred by injuries and inconsistent command.
Official confirmation arrived via team social media:
The Angels announced the one-year agreement with right-hander Alek Manoah. Manoah, who turns 28 in January, has not pitched in the majors since 2024, when he was still with the Blue Jays. Drafted by Toronto in the 2019 first round, Manoah raced through the minors and reached the majors in May 2021. The West Virginia product posted a 9-2 record with a 3.22 ERA and logged 111 2/3 innings across 20 starts in his rookie season, earning 2.9 bWAR and finishing eighth in AL Rookie of the Year voting.
In the following year, Manoah established himself as a true ace-in-the-making, placing third in AL Cy Young Award voting after delivering a 6.0 bWAR season highlighted by 16 wins, a 2.24 ERA, and 180 strikeouts over 196 2/3 innings. He also started Game 3 of the Blue Jays’ wild-card round, throwing 5 2/3 innings in a performance that carried significant weight for the club.
Yet the trajectory stalled in 2023. After expectations that he’d anchor Toronto’s rotation in 2023, Manoah opened with a troublesome 6.36 ERA across 13 starts and was sent to the minor leagues. His stint down on the farm had rough moments, and he eventually returned to the majors in July before briefly returning to the minors. The season then ended without a return to the big leagues.
The 2024 spring camp saw Manoah competing for a rotation spot with the Blue Jays, but he began the season in the minors. He did debut for Toronto in May, yet after five starts, he left a game with a UCL sprain and ultimately required Tommy John surgery. Manoah spent last season in the minors while Toronto designated him for assignment near the season’s end. The Atlanta Braves claimed him off waivers, but he didn’t appear in a game for Atlanta before he was designated for assignment again and granted free agency this offseason.
Now Manoah enters a rebuilding Angels staff, joining a club that finished 2025 with the third-highest team ERA in baseball. This move signals an organization betting on a player with elite potential to regain his form, while Manoah himself faces a critical chance to prove that the talent once described as transformative can still translate to major-league success.
Dec 3, 2025
