For weeks, the Toronto Blue Jays had a difficult decision hanging over their heads regarding the future of starting pitcher Alek Manoah. On Thursday, the organization finally made their move but it wasn’t without controversy.
Manoah’s career trajectory has been anything but straightforward since his breakout 2022 campaign, when he finished third in the American League Cy Young Award race behind Justin Verlander and Dylan Cease. At the time, he looked every bit the part of Toronto’s ace of the future, a homegrown star ready to anchor the rotation for years to come. But baseball can be unforgiving. Since then, Manoah has been optioned to Triple-A multiple times, battling inconsistency before undergoing Tommy John surgery last summer that put his career on pause.
His road back has been steady but slow. Manoah first returned to game action on July 14, pitching in rookie ball as part of his rehab assignment. From there, he logged 28 days and five outings with Triple-A Buffalo. However, with the rehab clock expiring, the Blue Jays were forced into a decision: activate him from the 60-day injured list or take another route. Toronto announced Manoah had been reinstated only to immediately option him back to Buffalo rather than entrusting him with innings during a heated pennant race.
That decision alone was noteworthy, but the corresponding roster move drew even more attention. To clear space on the 40-man roster for Manoah’s return, the Blue Jays designated infielder Orelvis Martinez for assignment.
Martinez’s fall from grace has been just as dramatic as Manoah’s. At only 23 years old, he was once viewed as one of the organization’s cornerstone prospects. MLB Pipeline ranked him the No. 89 prospect in baseball entering 2023, and his powerful bat seemed destined for middle-of-the-order production. He finally broke through to the majors last June, but his debut quickly unraveled. Just five days into his big-league career, Martinez was handed an 80-game suspension after testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs.
When he returned this season, the Blue Jays gave him a fresh start at Triple-A. Unfortunately, the results were disastrous. Over 99 games with Buffalo, Martinez slashed a disappointing .176/.288/.348 numbers that not only failed to live up to his potential but also raised serious doubts about his future. Once viewed as untouchable, Martinez was now expendable, and Toronto’s front office made the difficult call to cut ties.
For Martinez, the next chapter remains uncertain. If he clears waivers, he could remain in the organization and be outrighted to the minors, which would remove him from the 40-man roster and give the Blue Jays more flexibility heading into the offseason. But given his age, raw power, and prospect pedigree, it’s fair to wonder if another team will roll the dice and take a chance on him.
As for Manoah, his future is equally cloudy. At 27, he is staring down what has become a lost season, with his once-bright star dimmed by injuries and inconsistency. He’ll still have two minor-league options remaining when the 2026 season begins, according to FanGraphs, but whether the Blue Jays still view him as a rotation cornerstone or simply organizational depth remains to be seen.
What’s clear is that both Manoah and Martinez represent cautionary tales for an organization that once pinned big hopes on their success. For Manoah, the battle is about health, confidence, and regaining the form that once made him a Cy Young finalist. For Martinez, it’s about redemption, rebuilding his value, and proving he belongs in the big leagues.
The Blue Jays, meanwhile, must continue to make hard choices as they balance their current playoff push with long-term roster management. This latest set of moves underscores just how quickly baseball fortunes can change and how even the most promising young stars can find themselves on the bubble in a matter of months.