Inside The Mets

Dark Horse Candidate Could Sign Mets' Sean Manaea in Free Agency

One unexpected AL team could be a top player to acquire New York Mets hurler Sean Manaea in free agency this offseason.

Grant Young

Oct 20, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; New York Mets pitcher Sean Manaea (59) pitches against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the first inning during game six of the NLCS for the 2024 MLB playoffs at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
Oct 20, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; New York Mets pitcher Sean Manaea (59) pitches against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the first inning during game six of the NLCS for the 2024 MLB playoffs at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
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The New York Mets would not have made it to the NLCS without the unexpected excellence that Sean Manaea produced this season.

Manaea signed a two-year, $28 million contract with the Mets in January 2024, which includes a $13.5 million player option for the 2025 season. After amassing a 12-6 record with a 3.47 ERA and 184 strikeouts in 181.2 innings pitched during the regular season and then following that up by posting a 2-1 record, 4.74 ERA, and 19 strikeouts in 19 postseason innings, Manaea is predicted to exercise his player option and test free agency.

This doesn't necessarily mean Manaea won't return to Queens. But it allows other MLB teams to pursue him, which The Athletic's Jim Bowden alluded to in an October 24 article.

"I don’t think there’s another player who increased his free-agent value more this year than Sean Manaea, who did so thanks to significant mechanical changes that led to a crossfire-type delivery," Bowden wrote.

"Manaea... had a .185 batting average against and 0.938 WHIP in the second half of the season, then largely pitched well in three of his four postseason outings, including a dominant NLDS start against the Phillies in which he allowed one run and three hits in seven innings," Bowden added.

He then listed the Mets, the Baltimore Orioles, and the Minnesota Twins as Manaea's best team fits.

While the Orioles' interest in Manaea has been reported previously, the Twins feel like a dark horse candidate to poach him from New York. But after a massive collapse down the stretch this season where Twins pitchers had a 4.48 ERA after the All-Star break, they could certainly use a reliable arm like Manaea — and may be willing to pay top dollar to acquire him.

The Mets will have some competition when trying to re-sign the 32-year-old Manaea this offseason.

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Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

Grant Young covers the New York Yankees, the New York Mets, and Women’s Basketball for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco, where he also played Division 1 baseball for five years. He believes Mark Teixeira should have been a first ballot MLB Hall of Fame inductee.

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