The Los Angeles Angels aren’t waiting for Winter Meetings next week to make additions and moves to try and firm up their plans for the 2026 season. After a disappointing 72-90 campaign, there hasn’t been much clarity from the Angels as to which way they plan to go for next year.
They already dealt veteran outfielder Taylor Ward to the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for young starting pitcher Grayson Rodriguez. And they now are reported to be making their first major free agent addition of the winter.
The Angels are reportedly adding right-handed pitcher Alek Manoah to a one-year contract, according to Jeff Passan of ESPN:
Right-hander Alek Manoah and the Los Angeles Angels are in agreement on a one-year, $1.95 million contract, a source tells ESPN. Manoah, 27, was non-tendered by Atlanta and lands with the Angels on a fully guaranteed big league deal.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) December 2, 2025
Manoah is 27 years old and is entering his fifth Major League season. He spent the first four years of his MLB career with the Toronto Blue Jays before being waived and claimed by the Atlanta Braves, who non-tendered him last month without him ever throwing a pitch for the club at the MLB level.
The right-hander got off to a stellar start in his career. He debuted in the 2021 season, posting a 3.22 ERA, 1.048 WHIP and 139 ERA+ with 127 strikeouts in 111.2 innings. He got even better in 2022. He tossed 196.2 innings that season, finishing with a 2.24 ERA, 0.992 WHIP, 172 ERA+, 3.35 FIP and 180 strikeouts. He was an All-Star and finished third in American League Cy Young voting.
It all went downhill from there for Manoah. He was demoted to the minors within two months of the 2023 season starting. He bounced back and forth from the big leagues and the minor leagues before shutting himself down for the season in August. He then tore his UCL midway through the 2024 season.
Between the two years, he posted a 5.40 ERA and 1.585 WHIP in 24 starts. Now, the Angels hope to rehab some of the value that has completely vanished since 2022. Getting him at $1.95 million allows the Angels a low-risk signing that comes with some high reward, given that he is only 27 and was a Cy Young finalist three years ago.
He, like Rodriguez, is coming off of a major injury. But both currently project to be in the Angels rotation alongside Yusei Kikuchi, Jose Soriano and Reid Detmers.
