Red Sox Likely Preparing Offer For Mets Ace After Dominant NLDS Performance

A lot of teams will be interested in this emerging star...

Aug 15, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora (left) and coach Andy Fox (right) prior to the game against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images / Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images

If the Boston Red Sox happened to be watching playoff baseball on Tuesday, they sure got a glimpse of what it takes to succeed.

Of course, the Red Sox would much rather be playing ball in October, but they haven't earned that right for three straight years. And one of the things they've been missing is a stopper. When the going has gotten rough, Boston's starting pitchers have rarely stepped up and delivered big-time outings.

What is the definition of a big-time outing, you might ask? All you have to do is peek at what Sean Manaea did for the New York Mets on Tuesday evening.

Manaea, the 32-year-old who is set to opt out of the second year of his Mets contract, pitched an absolute gem against the rival Philadelphia Phillies. He threw seven shutout innings before allowing an earned run in the top of the eighth, scattering just three hits while striking out six.

As Manaea came off the field at the end of the sixth inning, after inducing a crucial line drive double play, he let out a war scream, pumping his fists at the crowd. It was a proper moment, and the type of moment that should put the Red Sox front office on high alert. This is the type of arm they need to sign.

Manaea was everything the Red Sox were looking for from a starting pitcher all season long. He ate 181 2/3 innings to the tune of a 12-6 record, 3.47 ERA, and 184 strikeouts. The Mets were 23-9 in games he started.

Spotrac's current calculated value of an extension for Manaea is two years and just over $29 million. That number seems highly unrealistic at this point, based on Manaea's continued excellence on the big stage. He'll want at least one more year and likely a $20 million or higher annual value.

These are the waters the Red Sox must get comfortable swimming in once again. You can't build a dominant pitching staff on a dollar store budget without a deep farm system. And the Boston farm system is still extremely light on pitching.

There's also nothing that says the Red Sox can't go after Manaea and still land one of the top dogs in Max Fried, Corbin Burnes, or Blake Snell. But he's the perfect backup arm to land if those three price themselves into the stratosphere this winter.

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