Braves Claim Former Cy Young Finalist off Waivers, Albies to 60-Day

The Atlanta Braves take a flyer on a former all-star and Cy Young finalist after he was put on waivers by the Blue Jays

Alek Manoah has a chance to get a fresh start | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

The Atlanta Braves bring in a veteran arm into the system as the season winds down. They announced on Friday that they claimed Alek Manoah off waivers from the Toronto Blue Jays and optioned i'm to Triple-A Gwinnett. 

In a corresponding move, they placed Ozzie Albies on the 60-day injured list. This was an expected move. He’s already ruled out for the remainder of the season due to another wrist injury. Multiple players have started on the 10-day or 15-day injured list before moving to the 60-day.

Meanwhile, Manoah will have a chance to go to a new system and get a fresh start after a couple of turbulent seasons. Back in 2022, he was an All-Star and a Cy Young finalist in the American League. 

Since then, he’s been back and forth from the minors, and he wasn’t performing well when down in the lower levels either. He also suffered a UCL injury last season, and he previously received injections in his shoulder. He seemed to be in his own head for a while as well. 

He and the Blue Jays can go their separate ways and start anew. Manoah can work with the Braves to try and work his way back. Being somewhere new with a new group of people can help. 

While it is a very different situation, Chris Sale is an example of someone who was struggling with performance and injuries in Boston and started anew in Atlanta. Maybe that can be the case for Manoah. 

In seven starts with Triple-A Buffalo this season, he had a 2.97 ERA and a 1.35 WHIP in 33 1/3 innings pitched. He was holding runners on base, but he was allowing too many on for comfort. It’s not going to translate well to the Majors at his current rate.

Manoah hasn't appeared in the Majors since 2024.

At the very least, the Braves add a rotation option for next season. He is a 27-year-old pitcher with Major League experience. It doesn’t hurt to have that type of option in your back pocket.

He has two more years of protection, so they can see how he shapes up long term. 

Even with the addition, it would still be wise to go and get a stronger option out on the open market or via a trade in the offseason. If Manoah puts on a strong performance in Spring Training and breaks camp with the Braves, perfect for all parties involved. However, they shouldn’t rely on it.