Multiple reports on Saturday stated that New York Mets LHP Sean Manaea has opted out of his intended $13.5 million contract and is set to hit free agency.
Manaea settled into the ace position nicely in 2024, dominating in the second half of the season while Kodai Senga was shut down after one regular-season start due to shoulder and calf injuries. The starter joined the club last offseason on a $28 million deal and is likely fishing for a multi-year with a figure reflective of his outstanding run with the postseason-reaching Mets.
Mutual Interest
An emotional season full of silly gimmicks and fun has surely left Mets fans hoping for his return. The starter told SNY, “I’ve loved my time here. I love New York. I love the organization. I love all the people there. I would definitely love to be back” in an interview reflecting on the Mets’ postseason run. To shed light on possible intentions, the Mets’ President of Baseball Operations, David Stearns, expressed a mutual interest between the organization and the left-handed pitcher in his postseason press conference. Stearns highlighted Manaea’s influence on and off the field and stated, “[He’s] Another player that would be great to have back.”
Nostalgia aside, the free agency testing comes as no surprise given the lefty’s arguably career-best stats in the 2024 season, going 12-6 with a 3.47 ERA in 32 starts, leading the Mets to the NLCS falling to eventual World Series Champion Los Angeles Dodgers in a season branded a “rebuilding year.”
It’s not necessarily the end of the road for Manaea in Queens, as the Mets could extend the qualifying offer, a record $21.05 million [one-year] deal for the 2025 season. Though instrumental in the team’s postseason run, Manaea is expected to decline, having sights set on a multi-year deal at a higher value. The Mets will receive draft pick compensation if the starter signs elsewhere.
Considerations and Free Agency
The Mets have $180 million coming off the books, and as Stearns affirmed in his postseason press conference, “[We’ve] Got financial flexibility. It means that pretty much the entirety of the player universe is potentially accessible to us.” There is a keen focus on adding starting pitchers and sprucing up the bullpen after a record-breaking 42 walks in the NLCS from the Mets pitching staff. With a hungry Front Office and the “potentially accessible entire player universe” for the New York Mets, exercising that financial flexibility could completely transform the pitching staff with free agent re-signs and/or replacements in the rotation.
Mets Pitching: Free Agents
- RHP Luis Severino
- LHP Jose Quintana
- RHP Rhyne Stanek
Stearns has made the first of the many moves in the offseason when it comes to revamping the bullpen, signing Philadelphia Phillies right-handed-reliever Dylan Covey to a one-year major league deal this week. Additional pitcher signings for the Cohen/Stearns powerhouse could include free agents like LHP Blake Snell (Giants) and LHP Max Fried (Braves).
Arguably, the most notable ace entering the free agency market this offseason is Baltimore Orioles RHP Corbin Burnes, and Queens would be an ideal landing spot for the All-Star. Burnes had a phenomenal 2024 season, going 15-9 with a 2.92 ERA for The O’s, and is reportedly anticipating a contract offer of at least $170 million for a minimum of five years, a figure Steve Cohen could put up.
