6 Blue Jays who could be playing their way out of the team’s 2024 plans

Which Blue Jays could be in jeopardy in holding a roster spot beyond this season?
Detroit Tigers v Toronto Blue Jays
Detroit Tigers v Toronto Blue Jays | Mark Blinch/GettyImages
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Alek Manoah

Finally, it has certainly been a nightmarish season so far for Jays’ pitcher Alek Manoah. After having an impressive rookie season back in 2021, following by a spectacular breakout year in 2022 in which he became an All-Star and an AL Cy Young finalist, many were expecting bigger and better things for Manoah as he entered the 2023 season. However, he probably wished it had never even started as anything one could think of that could go bad has gone bad for him.

Not only has Manoah struggled mightily with his control and command throughout the year, he has now been optioned to the minors twice with fading hopes that he can eventually regain his prior dominant form in the process. For the year, he has compiled a disappointing 3-9 record with a 5.87 ERA, 1.74 WHIP, giving up 57 earned runs including 15 home runs, 59 walks and 79 strikeouts in 87.1 innings pitched in 19 starts. Nobody in the world was expecting something like this, especially Manoah himself, as he now has to find a way to regroup, reset and get his career back on track.

Whether or not Manoah will be back this year with the big league club is also a big question mark, with the pending returns of bullpen arms Jordan Romano, Trevor Richards, and Chad Green on the horizon. We don’t believe that Manoah would end up being traded, but if he doesn’t turn his game around soon, he may not have a guaranteed roster spot with the Jays to start the 2024 season until he has proven he can still get it done.

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