Braves claim Alek Manoah off waivers after Blue Jays DFA
Former Cy Young contender heads to Atlanta as Toronto reshuffles pitching staff; Manoah seeks rebound after injuries and a rough stretch
The Atlanta Braves claimed right-hander Alek Manoah off waivers on Friday, three days after the Toronto Blue Jays designated him for assignment to create roster flexibility. Manoah, 27, is a former All-Star who finished third in the American League Cy Young voting in 2022 and remains in search of a fresh start after a sharp decline in recent seasons.
Manoah's breakout season came in 2022, when he went 16-7 with a 2.24 ERA and finished among the Cy Young finalists. A rookie season in 2021 had him posting a 3.22 ERA across 20 starts. But 2023 brought a downturn: he opened as Toronto's Opening Day starter but was demoted to the Florida Complex League in June after posting a 6.36 ERA. In 2024, he underwent season-ending elbow surgery after appearing in only 24 1/3 innings. He had been rehabbing with Triple-A Buffalo this season, where he posted a 2.97 ERA in seven Buffalo Bisons starts before his release.
“I’m just working every day to be able to get back into that everyday grind with the guys,” Manoah said in May, via The Athletic. “I’m obviously shooting for what we’re all shooting for here at the end. So that’s obviously the hardest part, but also going to be the most gratifying.”
The Blue Jays designated Manoah for assignment as part of a roster crunch and decided to hold depth with other players instead. Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins said the decision was tough. “These are always tough decisions,” Atkins said. “This just came down to a roster crunch and us feeling like [it was] the best decision for us to hold depth, and support this staff as we push forward into very important weeks. We chose others over him, obviously, so this was a very tough, very difficult decision.”
The Braves’ move signifies a willingness to take a calculated risk on a former top-of-the-rotation arm who could rebound in a different environment. Atlanta has pursued depth throughout a pitching staff that has faced injuries and inconsistent performance at times this season, and Manoah represents a potential low-cost, high-reward addition for a club eyeing a late-season run.
This acquisition comes at a time when both clubs are navigating a critical stretch run, where every addition or subtraction can influence a postseason push. Manoah will join a Braves organization that wants to maximize upside from players who have experienced both high highs and challenging setbacks, and his development will be watched closely as the season unfolds.
The latest move adds to Atlanta’s depth at a time when rotation and bullpen roles are under consideration, and it underscores the Braves’ willingness to gamble on a pitcher with a proven big-league track record in the right circumstances.
That should be final.