Jon ConahanWed, November 26, 2025 at 5:52 AM UTC·2 min readYoung bust who was once elite could be option for Tigers amid pitching search originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
It’s been interesting to see the career trajectory of right-hander Alek Manoah, who many viewed as one of the better starters in Major League Baseball in 2022.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementManoah had all the stuff to be a legitimate big-league arm for a long time and was even someone who looked like he could earn a big payday one day.
Unfortunately, injuries caught up to him, and the Toronto Blue Jays eventually decided to cut ties with him.
He later found a spot with the Atlanta Braves, but was recently non-tendered by Atlanta, making him a free agent this winter with the opportunity to land wherever he wants.
There should be some teams interested, and according to Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press, he believes the Detroit Tigers could be one of them.
“Manoah – a 2022 All-Star as part of a four-year MLB career – didn't pitch in the big leagues last season. He spent all of 2025 in the minors, making 10 starts across four levels. In Triple-A, he posted a 2.97 ERA with 18 walks and 30 strikeouts over 33⅓ innings in seven starts.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement“His sinker averaged 91.1 mph in those outings, down from 93.3 mph in 2022, while his slider generated a 37.8% whiff rate, up from 31.8% in 2022. After his All-Star season, Manoah struggled with underperformance in 2023, underwent Tommy John surgery in 2024 and didn't fully rebound in 2025,” he wrote.
The Tigers have seen over the past year or so that adding players who are often injured doesn’t always work out, along with adding older players.
And while Manoah is only 27, the injuries still have to be factored in.
It wouldn’t be the worst idea to give him a minor-league deal, but he’ll likely find a big-league deal somewhere.
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