Royals Could Pursue Mets Breakout Starter To Replace Pending Free Agent
The Kansas City Royals' season has come to an end. With a 3-1 loss to the New York Yankees in Game 4 of the American League Division Series, the Royals were eliminated from the postseason.
It is also possible that the Royals have seen the last of right-hander Michael Wacha. The 33-year-old drew the start in Game 4 and gave up two runs over 4 2/3 innings of work. His contract contains a $16 million player option for 2025, but the expectation is that he will decline it.
This means the Royals could lose him in free agency, but if they do, they could look at left-hander Sean Manaea, who Zachary D. Rymer lists as one of the top free agent starters in Bleacher Report.
Manaea started 32 games during the regular season with the New York Mets. He logged 181 2/3 innings, struck out 184 batters and posted a 3.47 ERA. He also has been a revelation for New York in the postseason.
The veteran left-hander gave the Mets seven innings of one-run ball against the Philadelphia Phillies, earning the win in Game 3 of the NLDS. The 32-year-old has made two starts this October and owns a 2.25 ERA.
He could profile similarly to Wacha for the Royals. His rise to success has been similar to that of Wacha, and he could be a solid force in a young rotation next to Cole Ragans and Seth Lugo. Kansas City would also be getting certainty.
We'll see if they'll target the veteran Mets starter this winter.
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Curt Bishop is a freelance sports writer who graduated from Maryville University of St. Louis with a Bachelor of Arts degree in the field of Communication and currently writes as a contributor for various platforms covering Major League Baseball. Curt’s work includes covering trade and free agency predictions, as well as rumors and news.