Potential Red Sox Pitching Target In Line For 'Nice Payday' After Resurgent Season

The lefty has been pitching his tail off in the NL East...

Sep 20, 2019; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; A detail view of Boston Red Sox hats and gloves at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-Imagn Images / Kim Klement-Imagn Images

For the Boston Red Sox, the plan this winter is simple: pitching, pitching, and more pitching.

After the Red Sox rotation wore down throughout the second half of the season, president of baseball operations Craig Breslow knows he can't head into the 2025 season with the same group of starters his team had throughout the disappointing 2024 campaign.

With Nick Pivetta likely leaving in free agency and the fifth starter spot a question mark all season, adding at least one starter in free agency is paramount. Doing so at a discount may not be the preferred option of many fans, but it may also be a mandate from Red Sox ownership.

One possible option is the New York Mets' Sean Manaea, who is certain to opt out of the second year of his deal in New York. But according to USA Today insider Bob Nightengale, the cost to acquire Manaea is rising by the day.

"Mets starter Sean Manaea is heading for a nice free agent payday," Nightengale said. "He has permitted three runs or fewer in 17 of his last 19 starts, pitching at least 6 ⅔ innings in 10 of his last 11 starts."

At 32, Manaea picked a perfect time to have the best season of his career. He's 12-5 with a 3.29 ERA, all career-bests to this point. With one more start, he will also eclipse his previous high mark in innings pitched, which is 179 1/3 back in 2021.

Manaea's option for 2025 was for $13 million, a number he is certain to clear now that he's had such a strong season. He'll be looking for multiple years, possibly up to four, and could approach $20 million in annual salary.

Manaea has also talked at length this season about how watching former Red Sox ace Chris Sale pitch has helped him rework his arm slot and arsenal. A healthy lefty in the Boston rotation would be a welcome change of pace after losing Sale to injuries through the years, then losing him for good last winter.

Even if Manaea is not an "ace," he's shown the capability to pitch like one during a playoff push. Had the Red Sox had Manaea this season, they might be getting ready to play in October. Perhaps he can help them get there at long last next season.

More MLB: Projected $195 Million Braves All-Star Called 'Best' Fit For Red Sox