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Alek Manoah

Blue Jays “Open To” Alek Manoah Trade Offers

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After finishing third in AL Cy Young voting in 2022, Alek Manoah had a disastrous 2023 season, posting a 5.87 ERA over 87 1/3 innings while suffering a significant loss of control.  Manoah’s hellish year included a month-long stint in the Florida Complex League to try and solve his sudden mechanical issues, as well as a later option to Triple-A Buffalo in August that didn’t result in any actual pitching appearances with the Bisons.

With all this in mind, it perhaps isn’t surprising that rival executives have told The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal that “the Blue Jays are open to moving” Manoah in a trade, and teams have made calls in general asking about Toronto’s rotation depth.  Of course, teams are often willing to listen on virtually any player, so it isn’t clear if Toronto is merely doing its due diligence in not dismissing offers for Manoah, or if the Jays are actively shopping Manoah in some regard.

It’s difficult to call Manoah a true trade candidate given the still somewhat mysterious nature of his down year.  Some type of injury seemed to be a factor, as Jays GM Ross Atkins said in October that Manoah received a PRP injection to treat some shoulder discomfort.  Manoah also went through some medical testing during his stint in Buffalo, but there were also reports of some hard feelings between Manoah and the team, perhaps regarding how the minor league option might’ve cost Manoah enough service time to claim Super Two status.

Only the Jays and Manoah himself have an idea of his status heading into 2024, or if even that might still be unclear until Manoah gets some offseason or Spring Training work under his belt.  Obviously no team is going to pay a big price for Manoah without having more understanding of what exactly is plaguing the 25-year-old right-hander, so that alone limits Toronto’s leverage in any trade discussions.

By that same token, if Manoah just needs to get healthy, it is possible he could enjoy a swift return to form.  Should such a bounce-back happen, the Blue Jays obviously want to benefit, rather than selling low on Manoah and then watching him rebound on another club.  That said, “selling low” is still better than selling for nothing, and another mediocre season might ruin Manoah’s trade value entirely.  Manoah’s rough season is just one season, and rival teams might feel they have an answer to Manoah’s mechanical problems, or that a trade itself might get Manoah on track if there is indeed bad blood between the righty and Jays management.

MLBTR’s Darragh McDonald recently speculated that the Blue Jays and Cardinals might line up on a Manoah trade, perhaps involving such past Jays trade targets as Dylan Carlson, Lars Nootbaar, or Brendan Donovan.  With Carlson and Tyler O’Neill both struggling for the last two seasons after some early success in their MLB careers, the Cards and Jays could theoretically explore moving two “sell low” candidates for each other, hoping that mutual change of scenery would benefit all parties.  St. Louis is one of many teams looking for pitching this winter, and with the Jays having a wide array of holes to fill in the lineup, several clubs could be fits if Manoah was indeed available.

The other question about a Manoah trade is how it would impact Toronto’s rotation.  Kevin Gausman, Chris Bassitt, Jose Berrios, and Yusei Kikuchi are set as the top four, with Manoah being the favorite for the fifth spot though Atkins made no guarantees.  If teams are asking about the Blue Jays’ pitchers in general, any of Bowden Francis, Mitch White, Wes Parsons, or even Kikuchi could be available at the right price.  Such a deal involving another pitcher would imply that Toronto is confident Manoah can bounce back, or that the Jays are perhaps exploring acquiring another pitcher for more stability at the back end of the pitching staff.

Blue Jays Hope To Add Multiple Position Players This Offseason

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Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins spoke to the media at the GM Meetings in Scottsdale, Arizona, with Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet passing along some of his quotes. Atkins discussed many details but the overarching takeaway was that the Jays are looking to add position players, with Atkins saying it could be anywhere from one to four players but it would most likely be two or three.

That pursuit is understandable given the results from the season that just ended. Though the Jays qualified for the postseason, their strength was their pitching and defense. The club had a combined wRC+ of 107 at the plate during the regular season, which wasn’t terrible, putting them just inside the top 10 league-wide. But they scored just one run across two games against the Twins in the Wild Card round and then saw Matt Chapman, Brandon Belt, Whit Merrifield and Kevin Kiermaier become free agents, depriving the club of four regular members of the lineup.

Atkins went on to address the free agent market, which is generally considered light on impact position players beyond Shohei Ohtani and Cody Bellinger, though the GM doesn’t necessarily view it that way. He said that “there are some really compelling players” available beyond the top of the market but they could also look to the trade market since they “still have the depth to trade from.”

Infield is likely to be a focus for the club, since Chapman was an everyday player at third base, while Merrifield split his time between second and the outfield and Belt played a bit of first base when he wasn’t the designated hitter. The Jays have plenty of infielders on the roster but, outside of shortstop Bo Bichette and first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr., many of them are unproven at the big league level or are perhaps better suited to a bench/utility role.

Davis Schneider, Cavan Biggio, Santiago Espinal, Spencer Horwitz, Ernie Clement, Otto López, Orelvis Martinez, Addison Barger and Leo Jimenez are all infielders on the 40-man roster but it’s unclear if the Jays want to rely on anyone in that group to step up and replace those that are departing. That is perhaps why Atkins gave the wide swath of possibilities for this winter.

Free agency features some potential solutions, such as Gio Urshela or Amed Rosario, though bringing Chapman back still seems to be on the table. Jon Heyman of The New York Post reports that Chapman is at the GM Meetings and has met with multiple teams, including the Jays. Chapman is coming off an uneven season but is still going to be one of the top free agents available this winter. He recently took the #7 spot on MLBTR’s list of the Top 50 Free Agents for this offseason, with a prediction of $150MM over six years.

Another option would be corner infielder Jeimer Candelario, who came in #13 on that MLBTR list with a prediction of $70MM over four years. Shi Davidi of Sportsnet reports that the Jays met with Candelario’s reps at the GM meetings, indicating they are open to him as a Chapman replacement. Candelario looked to be establishing himself as an everyday player in Detroit not too long ago, hitting .278/.356/.458 over 2020 and 2021 for a wRC+ of 124. But he then endured a nightmare season in 2022 and got non-tendered. Splitting 2023 between the Nationals and Cubs, he got back on track with a .251/.336/.471 line and 117 wRC+. He’s generally been regarded as a passable but subpar defender in that time.

It’s also possible the Jays go another direction and lump multiple younger players together in a trade for an established major leaguer. That’s how they acquired Chapman in the first place, sending four less-established players to the A’s in March of 2022. Given the aforementioned glut of infielders, it’s possible the Jays could look to do something like that again.

On the trade front, Nicholson-Smith reports that third baseman Eugenio Suárez of the Mariners is one of the players they are interested in. It’s unknown if Seattle has openness to such a deal, but it seems possible. Mariners president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto said yesterday that the club is looking to reduce the amount of strikeouts in the lineup and moving on from Suárez would certainly help in that department. Each of the past five seasons has ended with his strikeout rate near 30%, when the league average is usually in the 22-23% range.

That hasn’t stopped him from being a useful hitter, but with year-to-year inconsistency. While his strikeout rate has been steadily high in those five recent campaigns, the power and batting average have oscillated. That has resulted in two season with a wRC+ of 130, a couple close to league average and one way down at 85. On defense, he’s generally considered passable at third, though Outs Above Average loved his 2023 season. That metric considered him to be league average over the 2018-2022 period but gave him +11 in 2023. He has one year left on his contract with a club option for 2025. He’s set to make a salary of $11MM in the upcoming campaign with the option valued at $15MM and coming with a $2MM buyout.

Another option that the Jays are open to is first baseman Joey Votto, who is now a free agent for the first time in his career after the Reds declined their 2024 club option. He has been a speculative fit for the Jays going back many years since he grew up in Etobicoke, which was amalgamated into Toronto in 1998. “Incredible player, remarkable career,” Atkins said of Votto. “They’re just massive impact in the community if he were to be a Toronto Blue Jay. So definitely something that we would have to consider if that was something he wanted to pursue.” Though he added that Votto’s reputation would lead to him finding interest outside of his stomping grounds. “Incredible reputation, really dynamic personality, really bright (person) that I know our team would embrace,” Atkins said. “But I think that’s the case for probably 15 teams.”

Despite Votto’s incredible career, he’s not coming into free agency on a high note, having hit .204/.317/.394 over the past two seasons with a shoulder surgery in between those campaigns. It’s a somewhat similar scenario to Belt, who joined the Jays after a poor 2022 campaign that was ended by knee surgery. But Belt was going into his age-35 season when he was signed whereas Votto is now 40. Both are left-handed hitters at first base and the designated hitter spot, so it’s possible Votto could be viewed as a Belt replacement, but the Jays might have less faith in a post-surgery bounceback from Votto given the age disparity.

In the outfield, the Jays could look for a center fielder to replace Kiermaier though Daulton Varsho is also a capable center fielder, which could allow them to add in a corner. But Jon Morosi of MLB.com reports they are showing interest in free agent Michael A. Taylor. He’s a similar player to Kiermaier as both are considered excellent defensive center fielders but with lesser reputations on offense. Taylor hit 21 home runs in 2023 but his 6.7% walk rate and 33.5% strikeout rate were both worse than league average, resulting in a 96 wRC+. The defensive metrics have continued to be excellent though, as they have all throughout his career.

Though the lineup figures to be the primary concern, there is some uncertainty on the pitching staff. Four rotation spots should be spoken for with Kevin Gausman, José Berríos, Chris Bassitt and Yusei Kikuchi all under contract and set to return in 2024, though the free agency of Hyun Jin Ryu leaves one spot open. That could go to Alek Manoah, who was excellent in 2021 and 2022, but 2023 was a different story. He posted a 5.87 ERA and was optioned to the minors multiple times as the relationship between him and the club appeared to sour. Perhaps there is some hope of getting back on track next year, as Atkins tells Keegan Matheson of MLB.com “I do feel like he has earned, already, the right to have a strong leg up” for that spot. Manoah may have some competition, as the Jays recently added Mitch White back to their roster, while prospect Ricky Tiedemann reached Triple-A in 2023.

Davidi adds that the Jays are interested in Japanese hurler Yoshinobu Yamamoto, with Atkins having gone to Japan to scout him three times this past year. They surely won’t be alone in that pursuit since Yamamoto is only 25 years old and has been one of the best pitchers in Japan for years, leading MLBTR to predict a contract of $225MM over nine years. Whether the club would upgrade their relatively strong rotation while having clear needs in the lineup is something that was asked of Atkins. “I feel like we will have the opportunity to present those types of significant adds or acquisitions to ownership. We’ve been given so much support that I wouldn’t say that that is unrealistic to do both.”

The club’s president/CEO Mark Shapiro previously stated that he expects next year’s payroll to be similar to this year’s, though they are already close on that front. Cot’s Baseball Contracts pegged their Opening Day payroll at $210MM in 2023 and now Roster Resource has them slated for $205MM next year. That includes projected salaries for arbitration-eligible players, but even a couple of non-tenders would only drop them down a bit below $200MM. Though if the competitive balance tax is the larger concern, there should be more wiggle room. RR estimates the club got to $246MM in terms of CBT in 2023 but is only at $216MM at the moment, with a few non-tenders likely to knock that down some.

Elsewhere in Blue Jays’ notes, they announced that Carlos Febles will be their third base coach next year, replacing Luis Rivera. It was reported last month that Rivera is retiring after 11 years in that gig for Toronto. Febles has been part of the Red Sox’ organization for the past two decades, serving as that club’s third base coach since 2018.

Quick Hits: Twins, Manoah, Wright

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The Twins fell to the Astros in Game 1 of the ALDS this afternoon, though that didn’t stop manager Rocco Baldelli for providing reporters (including Bobby Nightengale of the Star Tribune) with fresh insights into the injury situations surrounding rookie Royce Lewis and outfielder Byron Buxton.

Regarding Lewis, there’s reason for optimism that the young slugger can return to the field in the near future. While he typically serves as the regular third baseman for the Twins, Lewis has been limited to DH-only duties throughout the playoffs to this point thanks to a hamstring strain he suffered in late September, with Jorge Polanco covering the hot corner in his stead. It sounds as though a potential return to third could be in Lewis’s future before the postseason is over, however, as Baldelli noted that Lewis was making progress, though he’s still currently at risk of re-aggravating his hamstring injury by returning to the diamond.

As for Buxton, the oft-injured center fielder was similarly limited to DH-only duties this year, never once taking the field on defense throughout the regular season. The injury also seemingly hampered Buxton at the plate, as he slashed just .207/.294/.438 in 85 games with the Twins this year. The club made the decision to leave Buxton off the ALDS roster, and Baldelli shed some light on that decision in what appears to be a worrisome update regarding Buxton’s ability to impact the club later in the postseason. Per Baldelli, Buxton has yet to progress to running the bases as he hopes to return to the club this postseason. With Buxton not yet running the bases, it’s hard to imagine him being healthy enough to return to defensive play in the outfield as the Twins make their push toward their first World Series championship since 1991, though the Twins have not yet ruled him out for the postseason.

More from around the major leagues…

  • Blue Jays GM Ross Atkins provided an update on right-hander Alek Manoah during today’s end-of-season presser, as noted by ESPN. Manoah, clarifying some of the uncertainty that surrounded the right-handers status last month. Atkins noted that Manoah had received an injection to reliever discomfort in his throwing shoulder, though he added that no structural damage had been found after multiple tests. Atkins described the 2022 AL Cy Young award finalist as “motivated to get back to form,” adding that Manoah felt the injection was the best choice for a next step forward as he looks to prepare for the 2024 campaign. Manoah, 25, struggled badly in 19 starts with the Blue Jays this year, posting a 5.87 ERA and 6.02 FIP in 87 1/3 innings of work.
  • Braves right-hander Kyle Wright is set to miss the 2024 campaign due to an impending shoulder surgery, as the club announced before today’s 3-0 loss to the Phillies in Game 1 of the NLDS. Following the game, Wright spoke to reporters, including Justin Toscano of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, about his injury. Wright noted that an MRI revealed perforations on the capsule in his right shoulder, and that while the severity of the damage won’t be clear until the procedure begins, he’s certain to miss the entirety of the 2024 season. Prior to testing revealing the damage, Wright adds, the issue was something he attempted to pitch through in hopes of making Atlanta’s postseason roster.

Latest On Alek Manoah

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Blue Jays right-hander Alek Manoah has twice been optioned down to the minors this season, the most recent coming on August 11, over a month ago. However, Manoah hasn’t pitched in an official capacity in that past month, with various reports providing conflicting details about what exactly has been going on in that time.

Back on August 22, not too long after Manoah was optioned, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet reported that Manoah had stayed in Toronto as opposed to reporting to Triple-A Buffalo, with the team’s blessing. “We’re just trying to work through the right time to get him back rolling again,” manager John Schneider said. “So nothing really to report.” When asked who made that decision, Schneider replied “It’s kind of both of us working through it to figure out what’s just best for him to get back and be productive,” the manager said. “So yeah, a joint thing and just taking it day by day.”

The Jays have a five-man rotation of Kevin Gausman, José Berríos, Chris Bassitt, Yusei Kikuchi and Hyun Jin Ryu. On paper, Manoah could have been the sixth starter and been back up with the club in the event of an injury to those other five. But even in that report last month, Schneider seemed reluctant to firmly state that Manoah would be first in line for such a role.

A few days after that, Nicholson-Smith reported that Manoah had recently undergone a battery of medical tests, but nothing serious was found. He didn’t report to Buffalo right away in case a stint on the injured list was required, but once his health was confirmed, he was expected to report to Buffalo at that time to start building back up to game readiness.

On September 5, Nicholson-Smith relayed that Manoah had been placed on the temporarily inactive list by the Bisons, adding that Manoah was with the club but they wanted to utilize his roster spot as he built back up. But earlier this week, another report from Nicholson-Smith relayed that it was unlikely Manoah would pitch in another game this season, prioritizing rest and recovery for potential long-term benefits.

That report was addressed by Ben Wagner, radio play-by-play broadcaster of the Blue Jays and formerly with the Bisons. He appeared on the Blair and Barker show on Sportsnet this week, as relayed by Andrew Stoeten of The Batflip. “It’s my understanding that Alek Manoah hasn’t even pitched, even in a side session or a bullpen, since he’s been optioned back,” Wagner said. “And there was a lot going on between leadership of the Toronto Blue Jays, the people around Alek Manoah, about the decision to even option him back, and where he would go when he was optioned back.”

There has been no official statement on the matter from Manoah or his representatives, nor from the Jays. Schneider addressed the issue today on MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM. “At the current time, he feels like he’s not ready to compete,” Schneider said. “But we’ve been working through every decision with him together as a group and respecting his requests along the way.”

Given the conflicting nature of these reports, it’s difficult to draw meaningful conclusions. If it’s true that Manoah and his reps aren’t happy about the demotions, it’s possible there’s a financial element at play. He came into this year with his service time at one year and 130 days, meaning he would have finished this season at 2.130 if he had been in the big leagues the whole time. Looking at recent Super Two cutoffs, Manoah would have had a decent chance at getting Super Two status and getting to go through arbitration four times instead of the standard three, thus greatly increasing his earning power.

Having been optioned multiple times this year, that will no longer be the case, but it would be hard to make the argument that the Jays were motivated by manipulating his service time in order to achieve that outcome. Manoah was allowed to make 19 starts this year and posted an earned run average of 5.87. His 19% strikeout rate, 14.2% walk rate and 37.7% ground ball rate are all well below league averages. Among pitchers with at least 80 innings pitched this year, Manoah’s ERA is worse than all but 11 of them. Adam Wainwright is the only hurler with a worse strikeout-to-walk ratio.

Ryu began the season on the injured list, recovering from last year’s Tommy John surgery. As he neared his return and Manoah’s poor performance continued, Manoah was clearly the worst option of the group that the club had on hand. Each of Gausman, Berríos, Bassitt, Kikuchi and Ryu currently have an ERA of 3.83 or lower. With the Jays firmly in the playoff race, currently tied for the last Wild Card spot in the American League, optioning Manoah was perfectly defensible in terms of just putting the best team on the field in the name of competition.

Regardless of the feelings about how things have played out, it’s a less than ideal situation for the club, as they have been operating without an obvious sixth starter for the past month. Their five starters have stayed healthy all year apart from Ryu’s rehab time earlier in the season and it hasn’t been an issue, though that could have easily played out another way.

There’s also the long-term to consider, as Manoah is still under club control for another four seasons beyond this one. Ryu is an impending free agent but the other four starters are all under contract for next season. Pencilling Manoah into the fifth spot would have been a nice plan for the club but they may have less confidence about that now, strictly due to his performance but also perhaps due to the other factors. Keegan Matheson of MLB.com appeared on TSN OverDrive 1050 today, saying that “the relationship does not appear to be in a good place right now,” before highlighting that the Jays might have to think about adding starting pitching in the offseason if they don’t think they can rely on Manoah as their fifth starter next year.

Perhaps more information will come to light over time, but there’s a lot of uncertainty around the situation for now. Regardless of how it plays out going forward, it has been a shocking season for Manoah that no one could have predicted. He posted a 2.24 ERA in his 31 starts last year, finishing third in American League Cy Young voting behind Justin Verlander and Dylan Cease. But his performance has dipped to the point that he was one of the least effective pitchers in baseball this year and is now perhaps one of the least predictable players going forward.

Blue Jays Promote Hagen Danner For MLB Debut, Option Alek Manoah

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The Blue Jays announced today that right-hander Hagen Danner has been recalled from Triple-A. He will be making his major league debut as soon as he gets into a game. Righty Alek Manoah was optioned as the corresponding move.

Danner, 24, was both a pitcher and a catcher in high school when the Jays drafted him in 2017. They initially tried him behind the plate but he didn’t hit much in the lower levels of the minors and got moved back to the mound. In 2021, he tossed 35 2/3 innings in High-A, allowing 2.02 earned runs per nine innings. He struck out 29.4% of batters faced, walked 8.4% and got grounders at a 36.3% rate.

With his early attempts at catching and the canceled minor leagues in 2020, that was the totality of his professional pitching experience in November of 2021. Nonetheless, the Jays were clearly intrigued, as they added Danner to their 40-man roster to prevent him from being selected in the Rule 5 draft.

Last season, the righty spent much of the time on the minor league injured list, only throwing 3 2/3 innings for the year. Here in 2023, he’s thrown 39 1/3 innings across three different levels with a 3.66 ERA. He’s struck out 35.7% of batters he’s faced while walking just 7%. The long ball has been a bit of an issue, however, with eight balls having gone over the fence so far this year. But his 26.7% rate of fly balls turning into home runs is more than double the major league average and unlikely to be sustained.

As for Manoah, this is the second time this year that he’s been sent on optional assignment. The first came in June after he struggled mightily in the first couple of months in the season, with a 6.36 ERA at that time. He was recalled about a month later and has been a bit better, with a 4.91 ERA since coming back up. His 23.3% strikeout rate in that time is close to average but his 12.8% walk rate is a few ticks on the high side.

The Jays have been running a six-man rotation recently, thanks to the return of Manoah as well as Hyun Jin Ryu returning from his Tommy John surgery rehab, joining Kevin Gausman, José Berríos, Chris Bassitt and Yusei Kikuchi. That arrangement has been fine for a while as they are currently in a stretch of playing 17 days in a row, but that will end after this weekend. Starting on Monday, the Jays have three off-days in an eight-day period, making the six starters unnecessary.

It seems Manoah will be the odd man out for now, as he’ll head to Triple-A Buffalo and await his next opportunity. An injury to one of the club’s other starters could open a spot for him, or perhaps the expanded September rosters will get him back aboard.

Blue Jays To Recall Alek Manoah For Friday Start

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The Blue Jays will recall Alek Manoah to start Friday’s game, manager John Schneider tells reporters, including Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.

The Manoah storyline has been one of the more unusual ones in baseball this season. He broke out in 2021 with a 3.22 ERA over 20 starts in his rookie season. He then took things to another level in 2022 with a 2.24 ERA over 31 starts, logging 196 2/3 innings on the year. He finished third in American League Cy Young voting last year, trailing only Justin Verlander and Dylan Cease.

But he followed that up with immense struggles here in 2023. Through 13 starts, he was tagged for a 6.36 ERA. His strikeout rate dropped from last year’s 22.9% figure to just 17% this year. His walk rate climbed from 6.5% to 14.9%. The situation finally became untenable after a start against the Astros in which he recorded just one out but allowed six earned runs.

It was at that point that the club made the decision to option Manoah, but they didn’t just send him to Triple-A. They sent him to Dunedin, where their Single-A and Complex League clubs play and the club also houses various resources to help pitchers with their mechanics and other fine points of pitching.

It was about three weeks later that he actually pitched in a minor league game, allowing 11 earned runs in a Complex League contest at the end of June. That was followed up with a more encouraging Double-A start on Sunday wherein he allowed just one run in five innings, striking out 10 while walking three. Schneider tells Keegan Matheson of MLB.com that Manoah was able to make a small tweak to get his mechanics to where they were during his successful 2022 season and the club has decided to give him another shot facing big league hitters.

With Manoah gone, the club didn’t fill his rotation spot with a fixed solution. Alongside the four consistent rotation members of Kevin Gausman, Chris Bassitt, José Berríos and Yusei Kikuchi, they frequently deployed bullpen games that leaned heavily on pitchers like Trevor Richards and Bowden Francis. If Manoah can make a successful return, it would help the club stabilize the rotation and avoid further taxing the relief corps. Though if it doesn’t work out, Hyun Jin Ryu has begun a rehab assignment and could perhaps step up in a few weeks’ time.

The progression of both Manoah and Ryu will be an interesting storyline to watch, with less than a month remaining until this year’s August 1 trade deadline. General manager Ross Atkins recently spoke about how the rotation was an “obvious” target for the club, though he also mentioned that the status of both Manoah and Ryu were going to be factors in their approach. The Jays are currently 45-40, which places them 2.5 games out of a playoff spot.

Even if Manoah is now up for good, it’s possible that his time in the minors has pushed back his ability to qualify for arbitration by a year. He came into this season with his service time at one year and 130 days, meaning the highest he could get here in 2023 would be 2.130. That would have left him shy of three years and automatic qualification, though he would have been in decent position to qualify as a Super Two player, but the missed time will now hurt his chances in that regard.

AL East Notes: Red Sox, Manoah, Bader, Fleming, Kittredge

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The Red Sox are looking to acquire an infielder who can play multiple positions, MassLive.com’s Sean McAdam writes, with a focus on the middle infield.  McAdam notes that Aledmys Diaz’s name has “been linked to the Red Sox,” though it isn’t clear how deep talks might be between the Sox and Athletics.  Diaz is struggling through a tough season (.208/.266/.264 over 173 plate appearances) but he is also an experienced player who could help a Boston infield that is still trying to figure itself out, particularly at shortstop until Trevor Story is healthy.  That said, Diaz’s contract is hefty enough that he would be more than a stopgap, as Diaz is owed roughly $4.1MM for the rest of this season and then $8MM in 2024.  The A’s are naturally looking to unload salary and might eat some of that money, but one would imagine the Sox might explore cheaper options if they truly only want a short-term option.

The Sox could possibly also be dangling an infielder in trade talks as the deadline approaches, if the team wants to move on from Bobby Dalbec.  The former top prospect was already the subject of trade speculation over the winter, and Triston Casas seems to have supplanted Dalbec as Boston’s next first baseman of the future.  Back at Triple-A for much of this season, Dalbec is posting big numbers, and a scout told McAdam that “I thought he looked much more confident at the plate, with more of a plan.”  That said, the scout has a modest view of Dalbec’s trade value, saying “my guess is, he’s only a second piece in a (larger) deal, or the only piece for an average bullpen arm or some infield depth.’”

Some more from around the AL East…

  • Alek Manoah threw 75 pitches during a simulated game on Friday, and is slated for another sim game later this week.  Blue Jays manager John Schneider told Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi and other reporters on Friday that “everything that we were talking about in terms of delivery and stuff [for Manoah] was good, so making some good strides in the right direction.”  A proper minor league rehab game could follow the next simulating outing, meaning that Manoah could be back with the Jays by July 1 if all goes well, though the plan is still quite fluid given the unusual nature of Manoah’s situation.  The third-place finisher in AL Cy Young voting in 2022, Manoah posted a 6.36 ERA over his first 58 innings this season, pitching so poorly that the Blue Jays optioned him to their Florida complex in order to fully explore what has gone awry.
  • Harrison Bader is slated to be activated from the 10-day injured list on Tuesday, Yankees manager Aaron Boone told The Athletic’s Brendan Kuty and other reporters.  The initial aim was for Bader to return this weekend, but the outfielder requested a couple of extra minor league rehab games in order to better test his injured hamstring.  Bader gave Boone a positive report via text message last night, so everything seems lined up for Tuesday when the Yankees host the Mariners.  Between an oblique strain and his hamstring strain, Bader has been limited to 26 games this season, and his return will be a huge boost to a New York outfield that is still missing Aaron Judge.
  • Rays manager Kevin Cash updated reporters (including Kristie Ackert of the Tampa Bay Times) on some injured player, including Josh Fleming and Andrew Kittredge.  Fleming is on the 60-day IL due to elbow soreness, but the good news is that it doesn’t appear surgery will be required, as Cash said that the left-hander will continue to rehab without going under the knife.  Kittredge had a Tommy John surgery just over a year ago, but he will throw a live batting practice this week in the latest phase of his rehab.  Kittredge is expected to return to the Rays sometime in August, while Fleming’s 60-day IL placement means that August 3 would be the earliest date for a possible return.

MLBTR Trade Rumors Podcast: Elly De La Cruz, Manoah’s Demotion and Surgery for DeGrom

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Episode 10 of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts! Make sure you subscribe as well! You can also use the player at this link to listen, if you don’t use Spotify or Apple for podcasts.

This week, host Darragh McDonald is joined by Steve Adams of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss:

Plus, we answer your questions, including:

  • If Kevin Kiermaier can stay healthy and remain productive, what kind of contract is he looking at in free agency? (22:20)
  • Could Corbin Burnes realistically be traded by the deadline? If so, what teams would likely make a push for him? (26:50)
  • What could the Cubs do with Marcus Stroman? (30:45)

Check out our past episodes!

  • The Wide-Open NL Wild Card Race, Returning Pitchers and Cast-Off Veterans – listen here
  • The Mets are turning things around, and how serious are the Mariners, Marlins and Diamondbacks? – listen here
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Blue Jays Option Alek Manoah

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The Blue Jays announced a series of roster moves today, the most notable of which is that right-hander Alek Manoah has been optioned to the Florida Complex League. The club also optioned right-hander Jay Jackson and infielder Ernie Clement. To fill those three roster spots, righty Chris Bassitt has been reinstated from the paternity list, infielder Santiago Espinal has been reinstated from the injured list and right-hander Bowden Francis has had his contract selected. To open a spot on the 40-man for Francis, righty Zach Thompson was designated for assignment.

The 2023 season has been a stunning fall from grace for Manoah, 25, who had previously been on a meteoric rise. The Jays selected him 11th overall in the 2019 draft and it didn’t take him long to make it up to the major leagues. He made six Low-A starts in his draft year, then the minor leagues were wiped out by the pandemic in 2020. In 2021, he was sent to Triple-A and allowed just a single earned run through three starts before getting the call to the majors.

It was an aggressive move given his lack of minor league innings but Manoah quickly justified it. He eventually posted a 3.22 ERA over 111 2/3 innings in that season, finishing eighth in American League Rookie of the Year voting. He took things to another level last year with a 2.24 ERA over 196 2/3 frames, striking out 22.9% of opponents against a 6.5% walk rate. He finished third in the AL Cy Young vote, trailing only Justin Verlander and Dylan Cease.

He seemed to be an ace in the making and was given the Opening Day nod for the Jays here in 2023. Unfortunately, just about everything has soured for him this year. His strikeout rate is down to 17% and his walk rate has more than doubled to 14.9%. His ERA on the year is 6.36, almost triple his earned run rate from last year. It’s been speculated for weeks as to whether some kind of action was necessary but he seemed to finally put the writing on the wall last night when he allowed six earned runs against the Astros while only recording a single out, forcing the bullpen to absorb 8 2/3 innings.

After that trouncing, manager John Schneider said that “everything is on the table” in how to move forward. It seems that wasn’t just bluster as the club will now send Manoah to their Florida Complex facilities to see if he can figure out what went wrong and how to fix it. The length of that process could potentially have implications for Manoah’s future earning power. He came into this season with one year and 30 days of MLB service time. A new “year” flips over at 172 days, so he’s already gone over the two-year mark, but this move makes it less likely he’ll qualify for Super Two status at season’s end.

Of course, that’s likely just a minor detail right now. In the grand scheme of things, the long-term trajectory that once seemed so straightforward suddenly seems incredibly murky. Both Manoah and the Blue Jays will undoubtedly be keenly focused on figuring out how to get him back to being a viable major leaguer, for this season and for the rest of his career.

In the meantime, the Jays will now have to patch over a hole in their rotation. Kevin Gausman, Bassitt, José Berríos and Yusei Kikuchi should have the next four days spoken for but the Jays figure to require another starter by Saturday. It’s possible that Francis, 27, could be a factor there, either as a traditional starter or part of a bullpen game of some kind. Drafted by the Brewers in 2017, he came over to the Blue Jays alongside Trevor Richards in the 2021 deal that sent Rowdy Tellez to Milwaukee.

Between those two organizations, Francis posted a 3.93 ERA in the minors in 2021, split between Double-A and Triple-A. That got him a spot on Toronto’s 40-man roster in the winter to protect him from being selected in the Rule 5 draft. He struggled in 2022 and lost his roster spot, posting a 6.59 ERA in Triple-A, though he did make his major league debut with a scoreless outing that lasted two thirds of an inning.

Despite that rough year, he’s had some decent momentum since. He joined Criollos de Caguas in Puerto Rico for some time in winter ball, posting a 1.51 ERA in 35 2/3 innings there. He then had a 1.08 ERA in 13 Spring Training innings before heading to Triple-A Buffalo. He made a couple of starts before going on the minor league injured list but has been back in action for a couple of weeks now and has a 2.89 ERA in the minors so far this year. The Jays haven’t made any announcements about their future rotation plans, but it’s possible that it could be contingent on whether or not Francis is needed before Saturday. With the bullpen fairly taxed after Manoah’s start last night, he could be pushed into action sooner if another starter struggles this week.

One player who apparently won’t be an option to join the rotation is Thompson. He came over to the Blue Jays from the Pirates in an offseason trade but has a 6.89 ERA through 11 Triple-A starts on the year so far. His 8.8% walk rate is fairly average but his 14.4% strikeout rate is well below. He seemed to break out as a viable big league pitcher with the Marlins in 2021, posting a 3.24 ERA in 75 innings that year. But he struggled in 2022 after getting traded to the Pirates, registering a 5.18 ERA last year.

The Jays will now have one week to trade Thompson or pass him through waivers. His poor results both last year and this year will obviously temper interest, but he has past major league success and a full slate of options. With many teams around the league dealing with injuries and in need of pitching depth, he could still find some interest. If he were to clear waivers, he would not have the right to elect free agency since he doesn’t have three years of service time or a previous career outright.

MLBTR Poll: How Should The Jays Proceed With Alek Manoah?

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The Blue Jays dropped an 11-4 contest to the Astros last night, snapping a four-game win streak. The game was never competitive, as Toronto found itself in a six-run hole before coming up to hit. Alek Manoah put the club behind the eight ball, allowing eight of nine opponents to reach base and being charged for six runs.

It was the worst performance in a season that has been a nightmare for the 25-year-old. Manoah comes out of the appearance with a 6.36 ERA over 58 innings. ERA estimators like SIERA (5.91), xERA (6.42) and FIP (6.52) are equally grim. Manoah has earned a quality start in only two of his 13 outings, although both were scoreless seven-inning gems. The start-to-start consistency hasn’t been there; Manoah has allowed more than a run per inning in five of his appearances and gotten past the fifth inning on only three occasions.

Those results are staggering. Manoah looked like a burgeoning ace two months ago. He posted a 3.22 ERA as a rookie in 2021 and took things to a new level last year. The right-hander twirled 196 2/3 frames of 2.24 ERA ball last season, earning his first All-Star nod and a third-place finish in AL Cy Young balloting. This year, he has the ninth-worst ERA and second-highest FIP among the 96 pitchers with 50+ innings.

Manoah and skipper John Schneider didn’t have definitive answers last night. Speaking postgame, Schneider said “everything is on the table” as the club tries to get Manoah back to form (link via Keegan Matheson of MLB.com). As things stand, Manoah would be lined up to take the ball on Saturday against the Twins.

There’s nothing in the former first round pick’s performance this year that’d inspire confidence. Manoah’s 17% strikeout percentage is well below average, as is his 8.5% swinging strike rate. He’s not throwing many pitches in the strike zone and he’s not having success in getting opponents to reach for stuff off the plate. That’s a combination that’ll lead to a lot of free passes. Manoah has issued an MLB-worst 42 walks.

The results haven’t been any better when Manoah has gone after opponents. He’s not missing many bats within the strike zone and is giving up a lot of hard contact. He’s already surrendered 11 home runs after giving up just 16 longballs all of last year. His fastball velocity is down a tick and he’s not getting as much lateral movement on his slider. The breaking ball has been particularly problematic, as opponents are hitting .328 and slugging .603 in 58 at-bats ending in a slider.

Most pitchers would’ve already lost their rotation spot with those kinds of numbers. Manoah, of course, isn’t the average pitcher. The Jays have understandably deferred to his pre-2023 track record in giving him a couple months to sort things out. Without any indication a breakthrough is imminent, though, the pressure is building on the coaching staff and front office. Toronto is a win-now club in the sport’s toughest division. They’re in fourth place despite a 33-28 record. The margin for error is too narrow in the AL East to wait much longer.

Where can the Jays go from here? They don’t have an off day until next Monday, so skipping Manoah’s next start only works if they want to put extra stress on a bullpen that had to cover 8 2/3 innings yesterday. There’s no indication he’s pitching through any discomfort that’d warrant a 15-day injured list stint. Barring injury, the likeliest courses of action are to keep Manoah on turn in the rotation or option him back to Triple-A Buffalo for a reset.

Further complicating matters is the Jays’ lack of rotation depth. Toronto entered the year with a top-heavy starting staff of Manoah, Kevin Gausman, Chris Bassitt, José Berríos and Yusei Kikuchi. That quintet has taken all 61 of the team’s starts. Gausman has been great and Berríos has gotten on track after a tough 2022 campaign. Bassitt has decent results despite middling strikeout and walk numbers.

Gausman, Bassitt and Berríos are locks for three rotation spots. Kikuchi probably isn’t in immediate danger of losing his job with a 4.40 ERA but he pitched his way out of a starting spot last season and is tied for the MLB lead with 17 homers allowed this year. Kikuchi is already a fringe starter for a hopeful contender. Manoah’s a second question mark and the Jays don’t have many alternatives below them.

Mitch White and Hyun Jin Ryu have been out all season. White’s on a rehab stint in Triple-A, at least, though he’s no sure thing after posting a 5.45 ERA last year. Ryu probably won’t be back until after the All-Star Break as he rehabs from last summer’s Tommy John procedure.

Former Marlin and Pirate Zach Thompson is on the 40-man roster but has an ERA pushing 7.00 in Buffalo. Prospect Yosver Zulueta is working in short stints in Triple-A. 20-year-old Ricky Tiedemann is the organization’s top minor league pitcher but he has just 23 2/3 career frames above A-ball. Non-roster veterans Casey Lawrence and Drew Hutchison have mediocre Triple-A numbers. Bowden Francis has pitched well in four Triple-A starts this year but had a 6.59 ERA in 98 1/3 innings there last season.

Meaningful rotation help is rarely available on waivers. It’ll probably be a deadline priority but it’s uncommon for teams to make notable acquisitions in early June. Unless the Jays surprisingly jump the market, they’re not working with great options. There’s a glaring lack of depth even as Toronto has been fortunate enough to avoid any injuries to their top five starters this year. If one of Gausman, Bassitt or Berríos were to miss time at any point, the rotation could be a disaster.

What should Schneider, GM Ross Atkins and the rest of organizational leadership do? Keep running Manoah out there and hope he figures things out, or turn to a depth option while giving last year’s Cy Young finalist some time out of the spotlight?

(poll link for app users)

 

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