Alek Manaoh remains an important part of the Toronto Blue Jays rotation plans, general manager Ross Atkins said Tuesday.
"He's easy to believe in," Atkins said at the GM Meetings in Arizona. "He's hyper-motivated. I feel like and he feels like that this year was an exception. And I'm really looking forward to what's ahead for Alek, not just this year but years to come."
Manoah's 2023 season could not have gone much worse. The Blue Jays' Opening Day starter, Manoah posted a 6.36 ERA in his first 13 starts with an abnormally high walk rate. In early June, he was demoted to the Florida Complex League.
The right-hander spent one month working in the Blue Jays' pitching lab at their Dunedin, Fla., spring training complex and returned to the majors in July. However, his struggles continued and on Aug. 10, the Blue Jays optioned Manoah to triple-A Buffalo.
Instead of reporting to triple-A, Manoah remained in Toronto to get medical attention. On Sept. 21, Sportsnet's Ben Nicholson-Smith reported that Manoah had received multiple injections to his right pitching arm and had been shut down for the season.
The 2022 Cy Young finalist finished the 2023 season with a 5.87 ERA in just 19 starts, allowing 15 home runs and 59 walks.
The Blue Jays enter the 2024 season with an opening in the starting rotation behind Kevin Gausman, Jose Berrios, Chris Bassitt and Yusei Kikuchi. Atkins' comments Tuesday suggest Manaoh is the favourite to grab that spot.
"I do feel like he has earned, already, the right to have a strong leg up (in the rotation competition)," Atkins said. "I feel so good about him returning back to the 2021, 2022 version of himself.
"It's a really good starting point for us."
