Mets have agreed to a three-year, $75MM contract with the lefty Sean ManaeaAccording to ESPN’s Jeff Passan. As Jon Heyman of the New York Post points out , the deal is awaiting physical closing.
Manaea, who turned 33 in February, is set to sign with the Mets for the second straight offseason. The lefty signed a two-year contract with New York earlier this year during the first week of January that guaranteed him $28MM and included an opt-out after the 2024 campaign. This is the second straight winter Manaea signed a two-year opt-out deal after signing with the Giants with $25MM guaranteed in the 2022-23 offseason.
The first contract signed in San Francisco comes after a brutal 2022 season in San Diego, in which Manaea posted a 4.96 ERA (76 ERA+) and a FIP in 158 innings. 4.53. His time with the Giants was better than that. While his 4.44 ERA (94 ERA+) is still below average, he still has stronger peripherals entering the offseason (3.91 FIP, 3.83 SIERA) and is off to a solid start in September, He posted a 2.25 ERA and 3.21 FIP.
The Mets clearly believe this bodes well for Manaea’s future, and it certainly does. The southpaw emerged as New York’s premium mid-round option in 2024, posting a career-high 181 2/3 innings with a 3.47 ERA (114 ERA) in 32 starts. +), FIP is 3.83. Manaea is one year into his career before entering free agency for the third consecutive time and appears to be seeking longer-term security. The Mets elected to extend a qualifying offer to the lefty at the start of the winter, but it wasn’t surprising when Manaea declined a one-year, $21.05MM offer and hit the open market. After all, the lefty entered the winter ranked as the 10th-ranked free agent on MLBTR’s annual list of the top 50 MLB free agents, trailing only the No. 5 starter corbyn burns, Blake Snell, Max Friedand Jack Flaherty.
Manaea struggled with QO early in the offseason, causing many clubs that might be interested in a mid-rotation veteran like him to look to other options. The Angels, Dodgers and Cubs turned to unencumbered free agents early in the offseason, e.g. Kikuchi YusenSnell and Matthew Boyd Rather than delving into the market for eligible free agents like Manaea, Nick Pivettaor Luis Severino.
However, that’s not a consideration for the Mets, as reuniting with Manaea would only cost them a hypothetical draft pick they would have received had he signed elsewhere. That gives Manaea a healthy guarantee, even if the number of teams linked to him this winter is rather slim: His three-year, $75MM deal exceeds the three-year contract MLBTR projected for him at the start of the offseason. $60 per year guaranteed, but that’s not surprising given that nearly every starting pitcher’s contract exceeds expectations.
For New York, a reunion with Manaea could be the key to the club’s success with him, Severino and Jose Quintana All hit the public market last month. The club added Frankie Montas and Clay Holmes Their rotation combined earlier this winter, but considering Montas’ struggles in 2025 and Holmes’ last major league start in 2018, the pairing offers little stability. Provides much-needed stability while sitting at the front of a rotation that also includes the talented right-hander Gao Da Xian Jia and young lefty David Peterson.
With in-depth options such as Paul Blackburn, Taylor Megilland Griffin Canning It wouldn’t be a surprise if Manaea’s return completes the team’s winter rotation. However, that doesn’t mean the club is completely finished. Even though RosterResource estimates the 2025 payroll to be closer to $280 million, that leaves $56 million in room to work before the Mets reach that 2024 number. That should leave enough room for the Mets to sign a corner infield bat to go along with it Mark Ventoswhether it will eventually be compared with Pete Alonso or alternative options such as Alex Bregman Perhaps also strengthening other areas of the lineup, such as the bullpen or bullpen.
