Braves non-tender Manoah, agree to deals with 5 players
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ATLANTA -- Dylan Lee will wait to see what his 2026 salary with the Braves will be. As for Alek Manoah, he no longer appears to be a long-shot candidate for Atlanta’s rotation.
The Braves announced that Manoah and Carson Ragsdale were their only players who weren’t tendered a contract before Friday evening’s deadline. Both right-handed pitchers are now free agents.
Lee was tendered a contract, but he didn’t agree to a salary figure. If he remains unsigned by the Jan. 8 deadline, his salary request and the Braves’ offer will be submitted to MLB. This step would set up the possibility of the salary being determined by a salary arbitration hearing, which would take place during Spring Training.
The Braves agreed to salary figures with each of their other arbitration-eligible players: Utility man Mauricio Dubón, LHP José Suarez, LHP Joey Wentz, OF Eli White and infielder Vidal Bruján.
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The most surprising decision was Manoah, who was claimed off waivers from the Blue Jays in September. The Braves were willing to take a chance on the big hurler, who finished third in American League Cy Young Award balloting in 2022. He was demoted to Triple-A after struggling the next season and his troubles were extended when he underwent Tommy John surgery in June 2024.
Manoah posted a 2.97 ERA in seven Triple-A starts for Toronto this year, but he was designated for assignment on Sept. 23. The Braves opted to take a chance on the possibility he might return to form during the 2026 season. But the two sides parted ways when an agreement wasn’t reached before Friday’s deadline. The 27-year-old pitcher had a $2.2 million salary this year.
Because Manoah has Minor League options remaining, the Braves would have had the option to allow him to extend his comeback bid at the Triple-A level next year. He would have likely competed against Wentz, Suarez, Hurston Waldrep, Bryce Elder and Grant Holmes for the fifth spot in Atlanta’s rotation.
Lee made his MLB debut during the final weekend of the 2021 season and he has been a part of the Atlanta bullpen each of the past four seasons. The 31-year-old southpaw posted a 3.29 ERA in a career high 74 appearances this past season.