Korean Baseball Association Samsung Lions announce signing of right-hand pitcher Matt Manning One-year, $1MM contract. Manning was completely cut from the Phillies roster in September and was elected as a minor league free agent earlier this month.
Manning was once one of the best pitching prospects in baseball, and in the years after being selected with the ninth overall pick in the 2016 draft, he has been a solid presence on the top 100 prospect rankings. He made steady progress up the Tigers’ minor league ladder before making his MLB debut in June 2021, but the strikeout prowess Manning showed in the minor leagues didn’t translate to his performance in the program. In the 2021-24 season, Manning played 254 innings in Detroit, starting 50 games, with an ERA of 4.43, a walk rate of 7.8%, and a strikeout rate of only 16.4%.
A few injuries hampered Manning’s production during this period, but the Tigers ultimately decided to move on from the right-hander altogether. Manning spent the entire 2025 season in the minor leagues, first with Triple-A Toledo and then with Reading, the Phillies’ Double-A affiliate, after the Tigers designated Manning for assignment and traded him to Philadelphia at the trade deadline.
Manning turns 28 in January, so considering his relative youth and his past pedigree as a top prospect, it’s somewhat surprising that he hasn’t generated interest from any MLB teams for a minor league contract. However, the fact that Manning signed a contract with the Lions relatively early in the offseason may be a sign that he doesn’t want to wait a few more weeks to get a non-guaranteed contract and then endure another season of grinding in the minor leagues. Manning also doesn’t have a minor league option right now, so even if he does make the major league roster, he’ll likely face more DFAs and titles, as well as a possible move to another team via a waiver claim or trade.
Manning will no longer ride this merry-go-round and instead get a $1MM payday from the Lions. The KBO League is generally a hitter-friendly league, but the lower level of competition could help keep Manning’s career on track. There have been several pitchers who have retooled their pitching skills during their KBO tenures, put up some strong numbers, and returned to major league attention, so it’s likely we won’t see the last of Manning in a major league organization.
