The Red Sox have yet to make a move this offseason, and that might be a good sign as they are potentially going after Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and the other top free-agent starting pitcher, Aaron Nola, has decided to stay in Philadelphia. Hence, he’s off the market now. There’s a RHP North of the Border who may benefit from a change of scenery, and that is Alex Manoah. I know he and Alex Verdugo have their issues, but there’s been rumbling about Alex Verdugo being traded this offseason, so that may not be a problem to worry about.
Alek Manoah By The Numbers:
Manoah was drafted 11th overall by the Blue Jays in 2019. He made his MLB debut on May 21, going six innings, giving up only two hits; he walked two and struck out seven. In 20,22 he made 31 starts, going 16-7 with a 2.24 ERA, a 3.35 FIP, a 0.99 WHIP, a 0.7 HR/9, a 2.3 BB/9, and an 8.2 K/9; he was an all-star and finished in third in Cy Young voting behind Justin Verlander and Dylan Cease, he also finished 17th in MVP voting. In 2023, he struggled after being a Cy Young favorite, making 19 starts,, going 3-9 with a 5.87 ERA, a 6.01 FIP, a 1.74 WHIP, a 1.5 HR/9, a 6.1 BB/9, and an 8.1 K/9. He’s made 70 starts in three seasons, going 28-18 with a 3.32 ERA, a 4.06 FIP, a 1.17 WHIP, a 1.0 HR/9, a 3.4 BB/9, and an 8.8 K/8.
Bottom Line:
Craig Breslow has a way of fixing pitchers, and if he could somehow get Manoah back to his old form, why not? It is a low-risk, high-reward move for the Red Sox, and if it doesn’t work, you have Nick Pivetta or Kutter Crawford to go in his place, but if it does work, you could have an ace on your hands that you didn’t give up much for.
oh god, please no. to both (alex gone and alek here).