Players are sometimes faced with tough choices when faced with the decision to opt out at the end of the year. That’s not the case for Sean Manaea. His decision was not a difficult one.
The new Mets ace would certainly void the clause in his contract that would make him $13.5 million in 2025 if he accepted it, which would be like deciding whether to write a deadline column for The Washington Post next year for pennies. (Sure, it’s fun, but I think he deserves at least 10 cents.)
With each fight, Manaea proves he’s worth many times his $13.5 million guarantee.
Manea briefly threatened a perfect game on a perfectly cool day Wednesday at Citi Field, but the Mets beat the Orioles, 4-3, on a walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth inning by loan pinch-hitter Jesse Winker. (Winker’s wild celebration was a nine out of 10, which means it was tameer than Francisco Alvarez’s impromptu on-field party a few days earlier after he sacrificed new Mets favorite Seranty Dominguez.)
Meanwhile, Manaea still had the potential to pitch a perfect game until there were two outs in the sixth inning, and he has pitched seven innings for the fourth time in five games, and his form is improving.
“He’s doing great,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “He just keeps getting better.”
If the Mets get that far, Manaea would be a good fit to start Game 1 in October, and while they’re still trailing the hated Braves for the sixth spot in the playoffs, walk-off wins like this one and a 6-1 record against the top two teams in the AL East (in contrast to their recent struggles against the bottom of the league) keep the Mets hopeful.
The Mets acquired some visionary free agents last winter, but Manaea’s return should be a no-brainer. The hottest of the Mets’ free agents is, naturally, home-grown slugger Pete Alonso, and I agree. He’s a great Mets player, beloved by fans, and has hit more home runs than anyone since entering the MLB in 2019 (219, tied with the great Aaron Judge). But either way, Manaea is more of a concern for the Mets’ needs at this point (more on that later).
The starting pitching market isn’t bad. Aces Corbin Barnes, Max Fried and maybe Blake Snell are at the top of the list, assuming Snell also opts out of his contract. And Gerrit Cole remains with the Yankees, either by opting out or by signing an extra year under the unusual deal. Other top starting pitchers who could become free agents include Nate Eovaldi, Jack Flaherty, Yusei Kikuchi, Nick Pivetta and Mets forward Luis Severino.
It’s an impressive list, to be sure, but with 29 of the 30 teams looking to bolster their rotations, demand will again easily outstrip supply.
Manaea should be a priority. He leads the Mets’ eligible starting pitchers in ERA, strikeouts and many other areas. (Obviously, there are only three eligible starting pitchers, but it’s still worth noting.)
The other two free agents, Severino and Jose Quintana, have bigger holes in the floor than Baltimore’s bullpen, so I’d bring back Severino as well and give the struggling Quintana a parting gift.
Manaea was in top form on Wednesday, his sweeper and changeup the primary and secondary reasons he held one of baseball’s hardest-hitting teams to just three hits and nine strikeouts in seven innings. The perfect game was consigned to history when Manaea struck out rookie Jackson Holliday for a hit, then Austin Slater homered on the next pitch, ending the no-hitter and the lead.
Manaea pairs a wide variety of pitches with a 96 mph fastball that’s above average for a left-handed pitcher, and he’s reinvented himself a few times and thinks on the fly.
He’s a New York powerhouse who took an 88.9 mph liner from Orioles superstar Gunnar Henderson, stayed right there at home and later said it was no big deal.
That’s where he fits in: During the All-Star break, Manaea was spotted playing catch with a couple of strangers in Central Park. Few players are more deserving of the “212” (and “718”) designation.
“I love this city, the people, my teammates, the organization, everything about it. I just want to keep going,” Manaea said.
Manaea grew up in Wanatah, Indiana, a town of about 1,000 people, and was not a particularly promising athlete coming out of high school, but he went on to become the best pitcher in Indiana State University history and was even considered a possible first-round pick at one point.
After suffering a hip injury late in college, he eventually proved so valuable that the Royals drafted him 34th overall (two spots after Judge) in 2013. After Kansas City traded him to the varsity for Ben Zobrist the year they won the World Series, he spent his first three seasons in the big leagues in California, then San Diego and San Francisco. It all worked out, and he, along with Pivetta, is the most successful starting pitcher in an otherwise fairly small draft class.
I occasionally see Manaea on my subway ride home from Citi Field (writing fast) and he seems to enjoy both the 7th and the 4th. He lives in Midtown and enjoys all it has to offer. He also told me he loved Oakland when he played there, so he’s clearly adapted. But I hope he finds a place here.
