Best shape of his life? Alek Manoah workout video and trade rumors curiously timed

Alek Manoah had a very difficult season with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2023. Things got so bad in fact that he was ultimately demoted to the Florida Complex League.

In the end, the young right-hander posted a record of 3-9 and an ERA of 5.87.

However, he's looking to come back stronger in 2024, and a recent workout video shows him putting in the work.

Oddly enough though, he has been at the center of recent trade rumors. According to Jon Morosi, Manoah has had a strong offseason of workouts. At the same time, teams have asked the Blue Jays about his availability via trade, though the Blue Jays don't appear to have any plans to move him.

Alek Manoah's workouts and trade rumors oddly timed

While nothing is certain, it is interesting to note that reports of his offseason workouts are just now surfacing, especially while trade rumors are also circulating.

It may ultimately prove to be nothing more than a coincidence, but it's always possible that the Blue Jays may have had him make some adjustments this winter. On Twitter, a Blue Jays fan posted a screenshot of the right-hander's workout video as shown on his Instagram story.

In the video, Manoah appears to have transformed his body. He also is clearly working very hard and taking his workouts very seriously, which look to be quite intense.

Obviously, Manoah isn't happy with the way his 2023 season turned out, but he's obviously motivated to put that behind him and return to his ace-caliber status in 2024.

He was Toronto's best pitcher in 2022, posting an ERA of 2.24 and finishing third in the AL Cy Young race behind Justin Verlander and Dylan Cease. Having him back to full strength would certainly benefit the Blue Jays as they try to build off of an 89-win season that catapulted them to the postseason for the third time in the last four years.