Sean Manaea Opts Out of Mets Deal; Will New York Re-Sign Him?

Left-handed starter Sean Manaea has opted out of his deal with the Mets. Now the question surrounds whether New York will re-sign him.

Oct 14, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; New York Mets pitcher Sean Manaea (59) reacts in the second inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers during game two of the NLCS for the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

What was anticipated has now occurred.

Left-handed starting pitcher Sean Manaea is opting out of his deal with the New York Mets after an impressive first season in Queens.

MLB insider Jon Heyman of The New York Post and MLB.com's Anthony DiComo were on the news first.

Manaea signed a two-year, $28 million contract with the Mets last offseason and emerged as the team's ace in what was a stellar 2024 campaign. He is now declining his $13.5 million player option to test the waters in free agency.

The 32-year-old could get a deal ranging from 3-4 years, and will likely receive a substantial pay raise after going 12-6 with a 3.47 ERA, a 1.08 WHIP and 184 strikeouts in 181.2 innings (32 starts).

Manaea's ninth season in the big-leagues was ultimately his best as he changed his arm angle midway through to replicate NL Cy Young favorite Chris Sale.

The southpaw helped the Mets reach the postseason via a Wild Card berth in a year that was expected to be a transitional period for the team. Manaea produced three strong starts in October (2.65 ERA in 17 innings) before running out of gas in his fourth-and-final outing in the NLCS (five runs allowed in two inning).

Manaea has made it clear that he enjoyed his time in Queens and would "love" to return to the Mets after he and the club achieved so much success in 2024.

However, it remains to be seen what Manaea will be seeking in terms of contract figures this winter. Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns has yet to give out a long-term deal to a starting pitcher during his nine-year career as a top baseball decision maker.

Will they make an exception for Manaea? That will depend on how much the Mets value the lefty and if they believe he will age well over the next few years.

Manaea has proven to be durable throughout his major league career and re-signing him would eliminate one of the many question marks the Mets have in their starting rotation ahead of the 2025 season.