Per Insider, This New York Mets' Starter Should be a 'Priority' in Free Agency

The New York Mets face an easy decision to bring back Sean Manaea, assuming he opts out.

Aug 21, 2024; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets starting pitcher Sean Manaea (59) reacts after walking off the field after the top of the sixth inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports / Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Mets have been linked to several big-name free agents ahead of this upcoming winter including Juan Soto, Corbin Burnes, and one of their own — Pete Alonso.

However, MLB insider Jon Heyman of The New York Post suggests one of their top priorities should be retaining a free-agent gem from last offseason.

Left-handed starting pitcher Sean Manaea inked a two-year, $28 million contract with the Mets on January 12. The agreement includes a $13.5 million player option for 2025, but following another stellar outing on Wednesday, Manaea seems poised to opt-out of his current deal. 

Heyman expects Manaea to void his player option in hopes of securing more guaranteed money. However, the insider believes the increased price tag should not deter Mets owner Steve Cohen and company from keeping the nine-year veteran. 

“The Mets made several prescient free-agent calls last winter, and the one to try to bring back Manaea should be easy,” Heyman wrote. “The focus among Mets free agents understandably will continue to be homegrown slugger Pete Alonso, and I get it. He’s a great Met, the fans love him, and he’s hit as many home runs as anyone since he entered MLB in 2019. But at the moment, anyway, I’m more concerned about Manaea considering Mets needs.” 

Manaea, 32, is 9-5 with a 3.48 ERA, a 1.17 WHIP, and a 9.1 K/9 rate through 25 starts this season. He has posted a 2.83 ERA over his last 13 starts and carried a perfect game into the sixth inning against the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday. 

The veteran left-hander spent his entire career on the West Coast before joining the Mets this past winter. He experienced ups and downs out West, carrying a career 4.10 ERA before 2024, and even bounced between the rotation and bullpen with San Francisco last season before finishing strong with a 2.25 ERA in four September starts. 

Manaea’s late-season brilliance has clearly carried over into 2024, thanks in large part to his diverse pitch arsenal, including a fastball that reaches up to 96 mph. Heyman noted that this velocity is “above average” for a lefty. Manaea also features a sinker, sweeper, changeup, cutter, and slider. 

The demand for quality starting pitching often outweighs the supply on the open market, so the Mets will likely face stiff competition to retain Manaea’s services. New York only has three qualified starters on its staff this season, and the other two—Luis Severino and José Quintana—are also pending free agents. Other impactful arms expected to hit free agency include Corbin Burnes, Max Fried, Blake Snell (assuming he also opts out), Nate Eovaldi, Jack Flaherty, Yusei Kikuchi, and Nick Pivetta. 

As they rebuild their pitching staff this winter, the Mets must also consider the costs of re-signing Alonso or aiming for marquee names like Soto or Burnes. But given the Mets’ current lack of top-end starting pitching, bringing back someone like Manaea makes sense in the short-term. During Wednesday’s postgame presser, Manaea shared his thoughts on pitching in the Big Apple. 

“I love it, love everything about it — city, people, teammates, the organization — I love everything about it. Yeah, just want to keep going,” Manaea said. 

Trailing the third NL Wild Card spot by 1.5 games, the Mets are set to begin a crucial four-game road series against one of Manaea’s former teams, the San Diego Padres, who currently hold the second Wild Card spot. But Manaea is not expected to retake the mound until the first game of the following series against the Arizona Diamondbacks.