The Los Angeles Angels made a ton of pitching acquisitions this offseason with hopes of cleaning up a bottom-ranked pitching staff.
The Los Angeles Angels did something they rarely do in the offseason: go out and make the team better.
Although they barely spent over $20 million in free agency, the Angels made a ton of moves in an attempt to fix the team’s biggest problem for years. The organization signed several pitchers to bolster the starting rotation and the bullpen, aiming to address one of the worst pitching staffs in Major League Baseball.
The Halos had a 4.91 starting rotation ERA, which ranked 28th in MLB, and allowed the fifth-most home runs (130) in 2025. Pitching has kept the Angels out of the postseason for 11 seasons, the longest current drought in the league.
Among the pitchers that were brought in is former All-Star right-hander Alek Manoah, who is battling for a spot in the rotation in spring training. Manoah was one of Los Angeles’ first signings of the offseason and he is looking to get back to pitching in the majors after rehabbing a Tommy John surgery that he underwent in 2024.
Manoah did return to pitching midseason and made several starts in the minor leagues, pitching to a 3.96 ERA over 38.2 innings across four levels with the Toronto Blue Jays. Although he was healthy enough to pitch, he struggled to get his velocity back and had control issues that kept him from making it back to the majors.
His first two years with the Blue Jays were terrific, beginning his career with a 9-2 record and 3.22 ERA through 20 starts in 2021. In 2022, he was an All-Star and went 16-7 with a 2.24 ERA through 31 starts and finished third in American League Cy Young voting.
Unfortunately, the next two seasons were rough for the big righty. He made just 19 starts after battling injuries and was even sent down during the 2023 season. He was 3-9 with a 5.87 ERA and 1.74 WHIP. Manoah made just five starts the following year before being shut down to undergo surgery.
With all of this in mind, MLB.com’s Rhett Bollinger thinks Manoah has the most to prove this spring.
“Manoah was signed to a one-year deal worth $1.95 million after he didn’t pitch in the Majors in 2025 due to Tommy John surgery,” Bollinger wrote Tuesday. “But Manoah is healthy now and looking to recapture his form from early in his career with the Blue Jays, including being an All-Star in ‘22 and posting a 2.24 ERA in 31 starts. He’s competing for the fifth spot in the rotation and has plenty of upside, but has to prove he’s healthy and effective.”
If Manoah can prove he can be an effective asset for the Angels, he should win the final spot this spring. At just 28-years-old, there’s a lot left in the tank, but he needs to be able to limit his walks and hard contact.