MLB insider says Blue Jays won't trade one-time All-Star SP

One of last season's biggest stories was how badly Manoah struggled. After earning an All-Star selection and third-place finish in AL Cy Young voting in 2023 (16-7 record, 2.24 ERA, 180 strikeouts), Manoah's production plummeted in 2023. He went 3-9 with a 5.87 ERA and 1.74 WHIP in 87.1 innings and was optioned to the minor leagues multiple times, including a demotion to the Florida Complex League in June. 

The decision to hold on to Manoah makes sense for the Blue Jays. His value is at an all-time low, and it is unlikely that the Blue Jays would be able to get anything of value in a potential trade. 

With Morosi saying that Manoah had a "very good offseason of workouts," there's no reason why Toronto wouldn't give him another chance. If Manoah continues to struggle, the Blue Jays could re-engage the teams that asked about him in the offseason. If he improves, the Blue Jays can either drive up his price and sell teams on the Cy Young potential he flashed in 2022 or keep him and continue his development themselves. 

Keeping Manoah and giving him another chance seems to have been the Blue Jays' plan all offseason.

"I do feel like he has earned, already, the right to have a strong leg up,” Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins said at the GM meetings in November, via MLB.com's Keegan Matheson. “I feel so good about him returning back to the 2021-22 version of himself. That’s a really good starting point for us.”

Manoah will likely join Kevin Gausman, José Berríos, Chris Bassitt and Yusei Kikuchi in the Blue Jays' starting rotation to begin the season.

Entering his final pre-arbitration season, this year will be critical for Manoah as he attempts to regain his 2022 form.