Former Toronto Blue Jays All-Star starter Alek Manoah was released by the Los Angeles Angels on Wednesday after a dreadful run in Triple A.Manoah posted a 24.23 ERA over his last five starts for the Salt Lake Bees, which included 24 hits, 21 walks, five hit batters and five homers in just 13 innings.The 28-year-old right-hander signed a $1.95 million guaranteed contract with the Angels this past offseason. The club viewed him as a reclamation project, hoping for the former flamethrower to rediscover the repertoire that made him one of the game’s best pitchers.“We have a plan. We’ve got to get his delivery back in place,” since-fired Angels general manager Perry Minasian said in December of Manoah. “… He’s motivated. If he is productive, which we believe he will be, there’s an extra year of control, which made a ton of sense for us. And we’ve got to take some chances.”
Manoah’s best years came in Toronto, where he finished third in Cy Young voting in 2022. That season, he had a 2.24 ERA in 31 starts and a sub-one WHIP.In his latter years with the Blue Jays, Manoah dealt with multiple injuries, including Tommy John surgery. His velocity dipped, he lost the ability to throw strikes consistently, and he was eventually demoted to the minor leagues in 2023.Before this season, Manoah was confident in his ability to regain his form.“I just think that’s the cycle of baseball. It’s very, ‘What have you done for me now?’” Manoah told The Athletic in February.“There are a lot of guys that had a really good year two years ago, but because they had a bad year last year, a lot of people are writing them off for the rest of their careers.“For me. It was a matter of, I had a down year.”Before the season started, the Angels put billboard images of Manoah in Angel Stadium. They were removed before the home opener, after Manoah struggled in spring. He also started the season on the injured list with a broken fingernail.Manoah made just three appearances for the Angels. In his third and final outing against the Los Angeles Dodgers on May 16, he allowed eight earned runs in 1 1/3 innings. His fastball velocity averaged just 87 miles per hour.
