Blue Jays, top pick Manoah have deal (sources)
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TORONTO -- It appears as though the Blue Jays could be adding to their reserves down on the farm with arms from this year’s Draft in the very near future.
Sources told MLB.com that first-rounder and 11th overall pick Alek Manoah had a deal in place to sign for his slot value of $4,547,500 ahead of his selection, though the 6-foot-6, 260-pound right-hander still needs to have his physical and obtain his passport before he can make it official in Toronto. The Blue Jays have not confirmed the deal.
Manoah’s repertoire features a power fastball and a hard slider, along with a changeup that he didn’t use much throughout the 2019 season with the Mountaineers, but it is still a pitch that the Blue Jays are impressed by. Manoah went 9-4 with a 2.08 ERA in 108 1/3 innings over 16 starts, with 27 walks and 144 strikeouts this past season.
Before Toronto's 8-2 loss to Arizona on Sunday, MLB Pipeline guru Jim Callis reported that Toronto’s second-round pick, Kendall Williams, signed an above-slot deal for $1,547,500. Another 6-foot-6 right-hander, Williams is a Vanderbilt commit who was selected out of IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. He has a five-pitch mix and a high ceiling, and the slot value at his spot was $1,403,200.
The Blue Jays’ entire bonus pool sits at $8,463,300 for all of their picks.