In the vast majority of roster moves in MLB, a team demotes a player from the active roster because it has to make room for a call-up.
In the specific case of the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday, their main motivation to make a roster move wasn’t about who was being called up, but instead, making sure to get a struggling pitcher another break.
They decided to demote former Cy Young award finalist Alek Manoah to Triple-A.
It’s his second visit to the minor leagues, after he was sent to the Complex League in early June to redesign his game.
Blue Jays insider Keegan Matheson had some comments about the Jays’ latest demotion.
“This move allows the #BlueJays to shift back into a five-man rotation with the off days coming up. Whether it happens on September 1 or sooner, Manoah will be back eventually, but his difficult season continues,” he tweeted.
This move allows the #BlueJays to shift back into a five-man rotation with the off days coming up.
Whether it happens on September 1 or sooner, Manoah will be back eventually, but his difficult season continues.
— Keegan Matheson (@KeeganMatheson) August 11, 2023
Manoah has a 5.87 ERA for the 2023 season as a whole, including an ERA of 4.91 since returning from his stint in the Complex League.
He hasn’t found any consistency, even though he was slightly better than the version he showed to open the year.
The Blue Jays are in the middle of a playoff race, though, and they need everybody locked in and competitive.
Unfortunately, at this moment, Manoah belongs in Triple-A.
As Matheson says, he will be back in the picture at some point.
There is a chance that moment comes in August, but it will likely be September.
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