Acquiring a starting pitcher who was an All-Star in 2022 and is 28-18 lifetime with an ERA of 3.22 sounds good on the surface, doesn't it? Well, if it were only that easy when it comes to Alek Manoah and the Toronto Blue Jays.
Had Manoah's massive collapse on the mound and moments of butting heads with the Blue Jays not surfaced last season, there would be no talk about what the future of the right-hander would be north of the border. However, these are the moments where everything has to be taken into consideration to paint the entire picture.
Any team that is able to execute a trade with the Blue Jays and acquire Manoah will get a pitcher who has proven he can be a difference-maker, but will that team be able to tap back into that pitcher versus the one we saw in 2023? That's the biggest question about Manoah leaving Toronto in a "change-of-scenery" deal with another team.
But will Toronto really pull the trigger on a deal? Blue Jays GM Ross Atkins has certainly had good things to say about Manoah in recent days, including this, "And I feel so good about him returning back to the 2021-22 version of himself that I think that's a really good starting point for him."
Words to simply drive up the price of a deal or sincere words from a GM who believes in his pitcher? Who knows, but there is seemingly a lot of patching of relationships that needs to be done between Manoah and Toronto. With that in mind, which teams might be the ones who could swing a deal with the Blue Jays for Manoah? Let's take a look at three of the candidates as the MLB rumor mill really begins to crank up.
San Diego Padres could trade for Alek Manoah
Much like the Cardinals, the San Diego Padres will need to rebuild their rotation this offseason.
Blake Snell will likely win the Cy Young Award for what he did for San Diego in 2023, but the Padres won't be paying him to stick around for next season. That's just one defection from a rotation that is centering right now around Yu Darvish and Joe Musgrove. There has to be more to it than that for the Padres to get back into contention for a postseason spot, let alone the top of the NL West.
San Diego spent a lot of money last offseason to acquire talent, and there is a big decision surrounding Juan Soto and his future with the Padres for A.J. Preller to contend with as well.
Additionally, reports are also saying that the Padres will slice their payroll heading into this season, coming in at around $200 million. Manoah being under team control through 2028 and making less than $750,000 in 2023 are benefits for a San Diego franchise that not only wants to win but is also figuring out how to do it with a different outlook (and manager) heading into next season.
Manoah could slot into the back of the rotation and have no pressure of being called the team's "ace" or "savior" or any of the other tags that could heighten expectations. In theory, it seems to be a good scenario for both sides.
Colorado Rockies could trade for Alek Manoah
Before you laugh this one off because "Coors Field" and "it's the Rockies," hang with me for a second here.
Colorado and Toronto have been trade partners in the past, so there's a bit of history there, including the shocking deal that ended Troy Tulowitzki's time in the Mile High City. Additionally, general manager Bill Schmidt has already proven that he is indeed willing to not only shake up the roster, but also part with prospects to make it happen.
If there is an MLB team that needs pitching, it's the Rockies. German Marquez and Antonio Senzatela are expected to miss much of next season (if not all) and Kyle Freeland and Austin Gomber are the only two sure things right now in the Rockies rotation.
Colorado fielded a rotation last year with names like Chase Anderson, Jose Ureña and Ty Blach. While there were some positive moments from the group, Colorado's rotation was dead last among all MLB teams last season with a combined minus-6.7 bWAR.
Colorado has farm depth that could be used to swing a deal for Manoah and, if he makes his way to Denver, he would have the chance to write the greatest comeback story of all. Picture this: After a down season, Manoah helps to conquer his demons by pitching well at altitude, boosting his career and fixing a big problem for the Rockies. It would be a story baseball fans would be buzzing about.
St. Louis Cardinals could trade for Alek Manoah
The Cardinals-Blue Jays trade connection was fired up again last season when closer Jordan Hicks was sent to Toronto at the MLB trade deadline. That set the tone for what is the most discussed destination when Manoah's name is mentioned.
It's no secret that the Cardinals need pitching and that John Mozeliak is out there looking for it, whether it comes through free agency or trades. Pitching was an area where the Cardinals fell woefully short in 2023, with their starters combining for a minus-3.9 bWAR, ranking 28th out of MLB's 30 squads.
With that in mind, Mozeliak tipped his hand that St. Louis is looking for "at least two starters" while also basically laying out his offseason plan during this week's GM meetings in Scottsdale.
"I think for us, our checklist is starter, starter, and then let's see what we look like," Mozeliak said. "We do have some position-player talent and depth there. So, we also do want to explore the trade market just in case we aren't successful on the [free-agent market]."
That checklist completion could start with Manoah, someone who has been the subject of a lot of specualtion and potential deals in the offseason. There's a lot of smoke around St. Louis and Toronto with this deal, but will there actually be a fire?