Former Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Alek Manoah says he has no hard feelings that the team let him go.
Manoah was drafted by the Blue Jays in the 1st round of the 2019 MLB draft. The 28-year-old Florida native pitched the first four seasons of his MLB career for the Blue Jays, and at one point in time, it looked like he might be the team’s ace for many years to come.
In his rookie season in 2021, Manoah pitched 111.2 IP with a 3.22 ERA and a 2.4 bWAR. He finished eighth in the American League Rookie of the Year voting that season, and it looked like he could be a staple of the Blue Jays’ rotation for a long time.
In 2022, Manoah had the best year of his MLB career, earning a third-place Cy Young finish that season. That year, Manoah pitched 196.2 IP with a 2.24 ERA and 6.0 bWAR. He was named to the AL All-Star team and earned Cy Young votes.
However, that 2022 season would turn out to be the high point of Manoah’s career. After poor performances in 2023 and 2024, Manoah missed the entire 2025 season when the Blue Jays made a World Series run. When the Blue Jays needed to make a roster move and put outfielder Anthony Santander on their roster, Manoah was DFA’d and put on waivers, getting claimed by the Atlanta Braves, ending his Blue Jays tenure. He did not pitch for the Braves and ended up signing with the Los Angeles Angels over the offseason.
Alek Manoah Has No Hard Feelings Towards the Blue Jays
On Friday, Manoah made his debut for the Angels, throwing 1 IP and picking up 1 K with 0 ER allowed for his new team as they lost to the Blue Jays 2-0 after a stellar outing from Dylan Cease. Before the game, Manoah spoke to reporters and was asked what his feelings were towards the Blue Jays for releasing him after so many years with the squad. For Manoah, it’s just business.
“I understand the business side of it and where I was in my rehab and all that stuff. When you’re trying to go for a World Series, roster spots are limited, and you need guys that are there. Obviously, Santander was more important than me at that point, and I understand the business decision of it, and it is what it is,” Manoah said.
Alek Manoah Has a Big Opportunity With the Angels
Now with the Angels, who signed Manoah to a one-year, $1.95 million deal during the offseason, “Big Puma” has a great opportunity to reinvent himself as an MLB-caliber pitcher.
The Angels have struggled with finding solid pitchers the last few seasons, so Manoah is going to get every opportunity to show the team that he can stick around in the big leagues. He is starting his Angels’ career out of the bullpen, but once he builds up his arm strength, the Angels may give him a chance to be a part of their starting rotation. His Angels’ debut was a good one, and hopefully he can turn his careeer around in Los Angeles after it didn’t work out for him in Toronto.
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