Weighing Pros and Cons of Washington Nationals Signing Sean Manaea
The Washington Nationals have been very quiet so far this offseason in both free agency and the trade market, as they have yet to make a splash.
Coming into the winter, the Nationals were a team that certainly had the ability to make a splash or two in free agency if they chose to. While that still might end up being the case, this was a 71-win team last season, that while young, needs some veterans to help improve.
One of the big areas of need is at starting pitcher. The free-agent market for pitchers has been wild so far this offseason with lengthy and expensive deals. Washington has recently been burned by their two big pitcher signings in Patrick Corbin and Stephen Strasburg. Even though adding a guy like Corbin Burnes would be awesome for the team, it likely won’t happen.
However, there are still a lot of other good pitchers out there who won’t have nearly as long or as expensive of a commitment. This should be more appealing for the Nationals, and likely where they will try to improve the team.
One pitcher who could make sense for them is Sean Manaea from the New York Mets. The southpaw had an excellent season in 2024, and is one of the best pitchers left on the market. Here are some pros and cons for Washington if they were to pursue him.
Pros
Adding Manaea to the starting rotation would fill a couple of needs for the Nationals. First, based off last season, he would be the new ace of the staff, barring a massive improvement from one of the young pitchers. Also, he would provide them with a veteran presence in the rotation that they are desperately in need of.
Since he is left-handed, the southpaw could be a great pitcher for MacKenzie Gore to be around to help his development. With an ERA under 3.50 for the Mets last season, Manaea could be a great spark for a pitching staff that needs it.
Since he is going to be 33 years old next season, a three-year deal is likely all that he will warrant in terms of contract. With that being a shorter-term deal than other free-agents, it will keep flexibility for Washington as well.
Cons
While it was a great campaign in 2024, the two years prior for Manaea in the National League West weren’t good. However, the left-hander did make some significant changes to his pitch repertoire and delivery, which could result in sustained success. However, there is certainly a risk that he will regress backwards in 2025.
This wouldn’t be the first time in his career that he had a good season followed up by a bad one, as he hasn’t been the most consistent throughout his career.
