May 12, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Alek Manoah (6) is greeted by team mates in the dugout after completing the sixth inning against the Minnesota Twins at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images

Brewers Are Perfect Landing Spot For DFA'd Blue Jays All-Star

Originally posted on Milwaukee Brewers on SI
By Patrick McAvoy | Last updated Sep 24, 2025 12:23 PM ET

The Milwaukee Brewers are a team that knows how to develop pitching.

Milwaukee has a done a phenomenal job in recent years building a pitching factory that seemingly can survive any injury. This Brewers team is 95-63 right now despite the fact that every expected starter for this team was injured at one point early on, aside from Freddy Peralta. The Brewers were aggressive acquiring Quinn Priester and also has gotten some great performances this season from guys like Chad Patrick, Logan Henderson, or Jacob Misiorowski. The Brewers do a great job just finding a way through.

Right now, there's another starter available for a cheap price that is worth a flier. That is former All-Star Alek Manoah, who was designated for assignment by Toronto on Tuesday.

The Milwaukee Brewers should target Alek Manoah right now

Manoah is a guy who is 27 years old and has nearly-unlimited upside, despite a few weird seasons. His last full season in the majors was 2022 when he had a 2.24 ERA in 31 starts and 196 2/3 innings pitched. The 2023 season brought struggles and some drama about going down to the minor leagues. In 2024, he only pitched in five games in the big leagues. This year, he's pitched just a few games down in the minors. He was injured for a good chunk of the season, but was activated earlier in September. In 10 starts down in the minors this season, he had a 3.96 ERA and his most recent start was on September 18th.

This is a guy the Brewers absolutely should grab and stash for 2026. He's young, and therefore he would be cheap. Plus, there at least some questions right now for the 2026 rotation with José Quintana and Brandon Woodruff both having mutual options for 2026. It's unclear if either will be picked up or what the plan will be for either. Adding another depth piece with real All-Star upside at a low cost is a no-brainer.

If there is a team that could get Manoah back to pitching at a high level, that would be Milwaukee. The Brewers have that track record at this point.

This article first appeared on Milwaukee Brewers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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