Angels Slip Even Further With Alek Manoah Signing
The Angels and Manoah are not a clean match, but for two sides that have seen better days, they might be perfectly ugly for each other.
Alek Manoah needs a mammoth-sized comeback to be considered as an MLB pitcher again. And if there is any team built to embrace a fallen star, it is the Angels.
For a franchise that once handed $245 million to Anthony Rendon, taking a risk on Manoah feels almost poetic.
Announced Tuesday, Manoah signed with Anaheim on a one-year, $1.95 million major league deal with fully guaranteed money.
Two sides coming together out of mutual desperation. That is what we have with the Angels signing Manoah.
ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA - MAY 25: Alek Manoah #6 of the Toronto Blue Jays pitches during a game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field on May 25, 2023 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
Manoah underwent Tommy John surgery in 2024 and has not pitched since; he has a lot to prove.
READ: LA Angels Bring In Kurt Suzuki As Next Manager
By age 27, Manoah had gone from Cy Young candidate to one of baseball’s fastest collapses, developing huge control issues.
In 2022, Manoah posted a 16-7 record with a 2.24 ERA. The next season, he collapsed — at one point sitting 1-7 with a 6.36 ERA before being demoted, and he finished 2023 with a 3-9 record and a 5.87 ERA as he struggled to regain his former control.
The Angels are coming off a disastrous 72-90 season that nearly saw their bats break the single-season strikeout record. They still need pitching, and they are hoping to squeeze whatever juice is left from the struggling Manoah.
TORONTO, CANADA - MAY 12: Alek Manoah #6 of the Toronto Blue Jays reacts after the seventh inning after giving up a three-run home run during their MLB game against the Minnesota Twins at Rogers Centre on May 12, 2024 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Cole Burston/Getty Images)
A new regime arrives in Anaheim with manager Kurt Suzuki, although the front office only committed to him for one year.
The more meaningful addition may be pitching coach Mike Maddux, who previously worked with the 2023 World Series champion Rangers.
Halos fans hope Maddux can turn mud pies into diamonds. Jose Soriano and newly acquired Grayson Rodriguez remain the only dependable starters on the roster.
The Angels and Manoah are not a clean match, but for two sides that have seen better days, they might be perfectly ugly for each other.
Meanwhile, up the freeway, the Dodgers are celebrating their second straight World Series title with an ex the Angels still cannot shake, Shohei Ohtani.
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