The Los Angeles Angels are taking a chance on a former All-Star starting pitcher.

The Angels have reportedly signed right-hander Alek Manoah to a fully guaranteed one-year, $1.95 million big league contract, per ESPN’s Jeff Passan. Manoah was non-tendered by the Atlanta Braves, making him an unrestricted free agent.

The 27-year-old impressed in a big way when he debuted for the Toronto Blue Jays in 2021, starting 20 games and going 9-2 with a 3.22 ERA and 1.05 WHIP across 111.2 innings. He struck out 127 batters, but walked 40 and hit a league-leading 16 batters. Manoah’s control issues didn’t stop him from turning in a Cy Young-caliber season in his first full season in Major League Baseball.

Manoah made 31 starts in 2022, posting a 16-7 record with a dazzling 2.24 ERA and 0.99 WHIP across 196.2 innings pitched, en route to his first and only All-Star appearance. He finished with 6.0 BWAR and finished third in American League Cy Young voting.

Manoah struggled mightily in 2023, going 3-9 with a 5.87 ERA and 1.74 WHIP across 87.1 innings pitched. He posted a career-low 1.34 strikeout-to-walk ratio and was ultimately sent down to the minors midseason.

Manoah dealt with shoulder problems early in the 2024 season but pitched to a 3.70 ERA and 1.03 WHIP in five starts before he had to undergo season-ending Tommy John surgery in June.

His fastball velocity dropped significantly during his rehab and his control issues persisted as he tried working his way back. Toronto designated him for assignment in September of this year and was claimed by the Braves.

Manoah is still young and has dominated the league before. His control is definitely still a concern, but the Angels are in a position where they can take a flier on the former All-Star. Los Angeles is expected to spend more in free agency this year than they have the past few seasons, so this move is probably just the beginning of the Angels’ roster reconstruction.

After trading left fielder Taylor Ward to the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for promising right-hander Grayson Rodriguez, the Angels have filled two spots in their starting rotation to pair with right-hander Jose Soriano and left-hander Yusei Kikuchi.

Manoah should have a huge chip on his shoulder and be relentless in his pursuit of getting back to dominating hitters at the big league level. This is a low-risk, high-reward situation for the Halos.