The Toronto Blue Jays’ Alec Manoa, 25, has been demoted to Triple-A after rising to the top of the starting pitching depth chart.

Toronto announced on Dec. 12 that it was sending Manoa down to the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons. However, Manoa didn’t actually move to Buffalo, but instead stayed with the big league club, apparently to check in with the organization about his health and future use.

He didn’t join Buffalo’s roster until the 25th of this month.

토토사이트Toronto general manager Ross Atkins told Canadian outlet Sportsnet: “We were waiting for Manoah to be physically complete. It’s not an injury. “Manoah went through a very thorough physical, and he’s in the best shape he’s ever been in before going to Triple-A. We wanted to make sure he was in the best shape possible before he went to Triple-A. Our medical team did a thorough job.”

This is the second time this season that Manoa has been sent down to the minors. Manoa, who skyrocketed to stardom last year when he finished third in the American League Cy Young Award voting, was officially given the ace title when he started the season opener. However, he struggled from the outset, going 1-7 with a 6.51 ERA in 13 games, and was sent to Florida training camp as if he were being sent packing. He was ordered to “completely retool” and took a month to get himself together. But when he returned in early July, things didn’t get much better. He still struggled to find his groove, posting a 4.91 ERA in six games before returning on July 11 against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Alec Manoa was demoted to Triple-A with a month left in the season, making it unclear if he will return to the big leagues this season. AP
When asked if Manoa could return to the big leagues this season, Atchison said, “We’ve seen some positive things from him – his command, his ability to throw strikes, his ability to induce swings and misses. I think there are a lot of scenarios where Manoa could be in the big leagues. It could happen at any point this season.”

But Manoa is neither a sixth starter nor an instant powerhouse; if the Jays needed a sixth starter, they could use a “tandem” of Trevor Richards and Borden Francis.

In other words, even if Toronto makes the postseason, Manoa is out for the year. It’s back to the drawing board. The current sentiment is that it will take time for Manoa to rejoin the big league rotation. It’s worth noting that the Manoah situation has a lot to do with the possibility of Toronto reuniting with Ryu, who is set to become a free agent later this year.

“The Manoa project for next year and beyond is the biggest variable facing the Blue Jays,” MLB.com wrote on Aug. 28, “with Ryu set to become a free agent after this season and No. 1 prospect Rickey Tidman not yet viewed as an immediate force, the Blue Jays need to bolster their rotation in some way.

Of Toronto’s current starting five, Ryu is the only pitcher who will be a free agent after this season. The other four – Kevin Gausman (2026), Jose Berrios (2028), Yusei Kikuchi (2024) and Chris Bassett (2025) – are signed beyond next year. If Ryu leaves and Manoa doesn’t return, the Blue Jays will need to develop or acquire a starting pitcher.

MLB.com asks, “Can the Blue Jays confidently include Manoa in their five-man starting rotation next spring? Or will they go the other way and acquire a veteran starter this summer?” But regardless of whether Manoa rebounds, it makes sense for Toronto to take Ryu. Ryu, who has returned to form in five games 14 months after undergoing Tommy John surgery, is expected to be in high demand in free agency.

In addition to Ryu, other starting pitchers who will be in high demand in free agency later this year include Shohei Ohtani (Los Angeles Angels), Clayton Kershaw and Julio Urias (Los Angeles Dodgers), Aaron Nola (Philadelphia), Blake Snell (San Diego), Lucas Giolito (Angels), Jordan Montgomery (Texas), Sonny Gray and Genta Maeda (Minnesota). Of these, Ohtani is the elbow injury variable.