MLB Rumors: Yamamoto meetings, Blue Jays terrible trade bait, Brewers close in
- Brewers close to one-year deal with Wade Miley
- Blue Jays dangling Alek Manoah in Juan Soto trade talks
- Yoshinobu Yamamoto coming to U.S. to meet with teams, including Mets
MLB Rumors: Blue Jays discussing Alek Manoah as part of Juan Soto talks
The Toronto Blue Jays are the clear frontrunners to land Juan Soto at the moment. Trade talks with the New York Yankees shut down, which means the Jays are the only team presently engaged in serious conversations with the San Diego Padres.
One thing above all else is clear — the Padres are asking for a lot.
The Yankees and Padres' trade talks are at a complete stalemate, with the Yankees saying the Padres' request of 7 players for All-Star outfielder Juan Soto is unrealistic:
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) December 3, 2023
Michael King
Clark Schmidt
Drew Thorpe
Randy Vazquez
Jhonny Brito
Two prospects
And taking CF Trent Grisham
Toronto finished last season with 89 wins and a wild card berth, but the Minnesota Twins knocked them out of the playoffs in a two-game sweep. It's clear GM Ross Atkins and the front office are desperate to take the next step. The Blue Jays have also been connected to Shohei Ohtani.
If the Padres are asking for quality MLB players and high-level prospects from Toronto, a return package will be extensive. One potential piece in the deal, per Jon Heyman of the New York Post, is Alek Manoah.
Alek Manoah’s name has come up in Juan Soto trade talks with the Padres. Could be a good change of scenery guy.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) December 4, 2023
You can practically hear the uneasy grumbling in San Diego from here.
Manoah performed well below average in 2023. He posted a -1.1 WAR and went 3-9 on the mound in 19 starts. His ERA ballooned to 5.87 and his 1.740 WHIP doesn't make for appetizing trade bait. In 87.1 innings, Manoah allowed 93 hits, 57 earned runs, and 59 walks with 79 strikeouts.
Of course, Heyman notes Manoah as a potential "change of scenery guy" because just one year prior, in 2022, Manoah finished third in American Leauge Cy Young voting with a 2.24 ERA and a 16-7 record. Last season was plagued with injuries, but there's reason to believe the 25-year-old can get back to All-Star level. It's far too early to jump ship.
He's not great trade bait, but as a throw-in, there's still value to be mined from a starter under team control through 2027. Manoah posted a Pitching Run Value of 36, in the MLB's 100th percentile, in the 2022 season. If he can achieve even a portion of that success in the years to come, he would make a useful addition to a Padres team that needs to replace Blake Snell.