The Los Angeles Angels are wasting no time stirring the pot this offseason, and their latest move is another roll of the dice on a once-promising arm. On Tuesday, the Angels agreed to a one-year, $1.95 million deal with right-hander Alek Manoah - a pitcher who, just two seasons ago, was one of the brightest young stars in the game.
Now 27, Manoah hasn’t thrown a pitch in the majors since May 2024, sidelined by elbow injuries that derailed his momentum. After a rocky exit from Toronto - where the Blue Jays, in the middle of a World Series push, opted to bolster their rotation with Shane Bieber - Manoah briefly landed with the Atlanta Braves.
But he never made an appearance for them. Instead, he hits the reset button in Anaheim, joining an Angels team that’s clearly open to taking some calculated risks on upside.
And make no mistake, the upside is real. Back in 2022, Manoah was electric.
He finished third in AL Cy Young voting, trailing only Justin Verlander and Dylan Cease. That season, he racked up 16 wins with a sparkling 2.20 ERA, anchoring a Blue Jays team that won 92 games.
His regular-season dominance didn’t quite carry over into October - he gave up four runs in 5.2 innings during a Wild Card loss to Seattle - but the talent was undeniable.
The question now is whether that version of Manoah can return. The Angels are betting he can - or at least something close to it.
This signing comes on the heels of another high-upside move: the trade that sent infielder Taylor Walls to Baltimore in exchange for Grayson Rodriguez, another pitcher with big potential but a concerning injury history. It’s a clear pattern for the Angels early in the offseason - targeting arms with high ceilings and some medical baggage, hoping that at least one or two of them can stay healthy and contribute in a meaningful way.
There’s also the matter of payroll flexibility. With Anthony Rendon no longer on the roster, the Angels are finally free of what became one of the most burdensome contracts in recent memory.
That could - in theory - free up some spending power. But if history is any indication, fans shouldn’t expect a sudden spending spree.
The Angels have been hesitant to make major splashes in free agency in recent years, often opting for lower-cost bets like this one.
Still, with the market featuring some big names - including Framber Valdez and Japanese right-hander Tatsuya Imai - it’s fair to wonder if the Angels might be more aggressive as the winter rolls on. For now, they’re playing the value game, trying to find lightning in a bottle.
Alek Manoah’s story is far from over. If he can rediscover even a glimpse of his 2022 form, this could be one of the better bargains of the offseason.
If not, the Angels move on with minimal financial damage. It’s a low-risk, high-reward move - and for a team looking to claw its way back into contention, those are the kinds of bets that can quietly shape a season.