The Mets have been excited to watch both Luis Severino and Sean Manaea, whom they signed as essentially projects last offseason, develop into healthy and effective members at the front of the starting rotation.
But the team appears in no rush to make any decisions regarding the futures of its two most consistent starters.
Severino will again become a free agent at the end of the season.
Manaea also almost certainly has a $13.5 million player option for next season that he is expected to decline.
“We're fortunate to have a lot of guys come in and do well, that's what we want,” president of baseball operations David Stearns said of the team's free-agent acquisitions before Tuesday's game against the Red Sox at Citi Field. “It says we're in good hands, and it says these guys have worked really hard to get to this point.”
“And what that means for the future, I'm going to work on that in the offseason. Right now, I think I'm 100 percent focused on being prepared and ready to play every day.”
Severino, 30, was acquired from the Yankees after a disastrous 2023 season in which he posted a 6.65 ERA and struggled with injuries.
The powerful right-hander has started 27 games so far (his most since 2017) and posted a respectable 3.84 ERA.
“That's a credit to him,” Stearns said. “When we signed him, we met with him and we immediately discussed a medical plan and a strength-building plan that we thought would be beneficial for him, and he combined that with what he was already doing. [and] You have worked extraordinarily hard since day one.
“And so, as a result, he pitched very effectively all season, had a really good season, and I think he'll have a complete season.”
Meanwhile, Manaea has reinvented himself for the second straight season.
The left-hander was left out of the Giants' starting rotation last year, but then he discovered his sweeper role and performed well as a starter late in the season.
This year, Manaea was moved down a pitching position within the first few months of the season and posted a career-best ERA of 3.35 in his ninth year in the major leagues.
“He's always been a talented player,” Stearns said. “He's had some very good seasons and parts of the season were really good. [the] No.1 [priority] “Consistency is what Sean told us in the offseason.”
“And having an open dialogue. Sean likes to experiment a bit. And he likes to try new things.”
Severino and Manaea will be making more money this offseason than they did last year, and they've made a strong case for the Mets to make another strong push for them.
Or, the Mets may ultimately opt for a short-term deal and trust their staff can unearth the next Severino or Manaea.
“From a player evaluation standpoint, we're doing the best we can,” Stearns said, “we're not perfect, but we identified players during the offseason that we thought would contribute to our team, and to their credit, they've worked really hard and met or exceeded our expectations.”
Mark Vientos hit his 22nd solo home run of the year in the seventh inning.
The third baseman is on a 14-game hitting streak at home, going 17-for-52 (.327 batting average) with six home runs.
Paul Blackburn (bruised right hand) allowed one run over 6 1/3 innings in a rehab appearance for Triple-A Syracuse. The right-hander threw 75 pitches.
Stearns will be happy to make a decision on the role of Kodai Senga, who said Monday he could make a relief appearance in late September. Senga has recovered well enough from a serious calf injury to play catch off the mound.
“I think the first step is to get him on the mound and get him healthy enough to compete at the major league level,” Stearns said. “Then we'll work on that role, whether that's in the bullpen, starting or maybe the early innings of a game.”
Stearns, who serves as president of baseball operations for a team that does not have a general manager, said he has not yet decided whether to hire one.
“We're going to address that in the offseason,” Stearns said.
At this time, there is no additional MRI scheduled for Dedniel Nunez's arm.
Nunez is not expected to pitch during this homestand due to a second bout of right forearm tightness, but he has been working with a trainer.
“We'll have to wait and see the next few days and see how he responds,” manager Carlos Mendoza said of Nunez, who said there is still time for Nunez to return this season.
