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By Jackson Roberts
Contributing Sports Writer
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Friday was an important checkpoint for players on the fringes of their teams' major league rosters, and the Atlanta Braves dealt some bad news to a notorious one-time All-Star.
In 2022, Alek Manoah was on top of the world. He finished third in that year's Cy Young Award race and looked like the long-term ace of the Toronto Blue Jays, who were loaded with talent and seemingly poised to make deep runs in the next few postseasons.
The sequence of events that led to Manoah landing with the Braves three years later could fill several pages, but suffice it to say that after a host of struggles, Tommy John surgery, and the Blue Jays burning through all of his options, Manoah was designated for assignment in September, allowing the Braves to pick him up. Still, based on Friday's move, his career hasn't yet leveled out.
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The Braves announced on social media that they had declined to tender Manoah a contract for the upcoming season. He will hit the open market and can sign a major or minor league contract with any of the 30 clubs as soon as he officially elects free agency.
Atlanta also non-tendered right-handed pitcher Carson Ragsdale, who has significantly less name recognition than Manoah, but was claimed off waivers from the Baltimore Orioles just eight days before this decision was made.
Manoah made 10 appearances for the Blue Jays in the minor leagues this season, spread across four levels. He pitched to a 3.96 ERA in 38 2/3 innings, striking out 35 batters, walking 23, and allowing 36 hits, including six home runs.
He'll turn 28 in January, so Manoah still has age on his side as he tries to engineer a comeback. In fact, the Braves may still try to bring him back at a lower salary than he would have been granted in arbitration. But he's now able to play the field and assess his options.
As we don't currently know if any team will offer Manoah a guaranteed contract for the upcoming season, however, it's safe to say that his career has not been in such a precarious position since he first debuted in the majors back in May of 2021.
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