MLB Odds: What will the Toronto Blue Jays do with Alek Manoah?

Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Alek Manoah was rocked in his third Triple-A rehab start on Wednesday. Pitching for the Buffalo Bisons, Manoah allowed six earned runs in three innings. The 26-year-old faced 19 batters and allowed seven hits and two home runs, with four walks and five strikeouts.

In four minor league starts this season, three in Triple A and one in Single-A Dunedun, Manoah has an 11.85 ERA and 2.56 WHIP. He pitched in one spring training game, but soon went down with right shoulder soreness and was placed on the injured list to start the year.

It’s safe to say it’s been a bad start to the season following a disastrous 2023 that saw Manoah finish with a 5.87 ERA in 19 starts before spending the second half of the year in the minors. It was deep regression from 2022 when he had a 16-7 record with a 2.24 ERA while being named an All-Star and finishing third in American League Cy Young voting.

So, what will the Toronto Blue Jays do with Alek Manoah? Let’s look at the options.

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Option 1: Manoah returns to the rotation

The most desirable option for both team and player would be to see Manoah return to the rotation and start games for the big club. The Blue Jays have Yariel Rodriguez on a pitch limit and they would likely prefer to have Manoah come up and take over the fifth spot in the rotation so they can move Rodriguez to the bullpen.

For now it will be a wait and see approach, but I would be shocked if Manoah doesn’t get another chance in the majors this season.

Option 2: Send Manoah to the bullpen

If Toronto doesn’t think Manoah is ready to start in the majors, they could ease him back in by having him come out of the bullpen. By all accounts the team still believes Manoah is a starter capable of 100 pitches per outing, but letting him come out of the bullpen could be a way to rebuild his confidence while gradually increasing his workload.

This seems like and unlikely option, however, as the Blue Jays probably want Manoah to work out all the kinks in the minors before he is recalled.

Option 3: Trade Manoah

The nuclear option is for the Blue Jays to wash their hands of Manoah and trade him. For a trade to work, you obviously need a team to believe Manoah is a worthy reclamation project who just needs a change of scenery to regain his All-Star form. But, trading Manoah would be a gamble for Toronto. The obvious drawback is Manoah’s depleted value likely won’t get a fair return. You also run the risk of getting fleeced on a deal if Manoah finds his game again.

I think the Jays are committed to giving Manoah another shot and I don’t think they would even think about moving him until the off-season.

Verdict

So, what’s the best option? None of the above!

The decision on Manoah is basically in ‘no man’s land’ territory right now. He clearly isn’t ready to pitch in the majors, so the best thing the Jays can do for him is keep the spotlight off and let him work out his issues in the minors.