If Sean Manaea is the last mainstay of the Mets' rotation, the club's 2025 rotation will have similarities to its 2024 rotation. That means there's plenty of depth, potential and experience, but perhaps no true established ace.
That would be fine for the Mets, who saw their roster construction go pretty well last season.
“It always helps to have a horse at the front of the rotation,” President of Baseball Operations David Stearns said earlier this offseason. “I think Sean did it.” [role] this year. He had a really productive year. There were points this year. [Luis Severino] He did that for us. You need a starting pitcher to pitch well.
“I don't know if I'm saying, 'It has to be an ace from a famous brand,' but we certainly need a starting pitcher who can carry the load.”
The Mets were granted in-person talks with Aki Sasaki, a move no team has ever had, and arguably the best arm available this offseason in what is arguably the most team-friendly contract. He can dream of filling the rotation.
But even if Japan's ace chooses his favorite Dodgers, Padres, or somewhere other than the Queens, the Mets may still have a capable starting pitcher to carry the load.
After agreeing to a three-year, $75 million deal with deferred payments late Sunday with Manaea, Stearns will move five players to the six-man lineup: Manaea, Kodai Chiga, Frankie Montas, David Peterson and Clay Holmes. We gathered reliable members.
Barring any further additions (unless another high-end arm is expected), Griffin Canning, Tyler Megill, Jose Butt, and (when healthy) Paul Blackburn get the inside track for the final spot. I would.
Max Kranik and Justin Hagenmann could step up as swingmen. Prospects Brandon Sproat, Blade Tidwell, Nolan McLean and Jonah Tong could be talked about later in the season.
There is a world in which Chiga — the 2023 ace who was injured for much of 2024 — emerges as No. 1 again.
The Mets like what they see in Montas, who finished sixth in AL Cy Young voting in 2021.
There is a lot of curiosity about Holmes, who has often been dominant as a reliever for the Yankees and who the club hopes has enough depth to transition well.
Peterson, 29, is coming off a breakout season in which he started 21 games and posted a 2.90 ERA.
However, the Mets' best bet to acquire a 2025 ace is a player who develops into a 2024 ace.
Manaea, a clubhouse and fan favorite, returned to the deal that the Mets don't have to extend beyond four seasons.
The left-hander, who turns 34 in February, is coming off the best years of his career, lowering his arm slot to near sidearm and becoming the Mets' best pitcher (and the best pitcher in baseball) from late July until 2019. He claims to be one of the end of the season.
He played well in three postseason games, but ran out of gas in his final start against the Dodgers.
After the season ended in the NLCS, an emotional Manaea said, “I really enjoyed my time here.'' “I love New York, this organization, and all the people here, so I would love to come back.”
Manaea got his wish, even if it wasn't the long-term deal some expected. Through nine seasons in the big leagues, he was a slightly above-average starter with a 4.00 ERA, but he's on the rise and always seems to find ways to improve.
He lost his spot in the rotation as the Giants' starting pitcher in 2023, becoming a sweeper midway through the season and using it to get back into the rotation and pitch well.
He parlayed that spurt into a contract with the Mets, and after coming off and emulating Chris Sale, he helped lead the Mets to two wins away from the World Series and the biggest contract of his career.
For Stearns, it was enough to bring Manaea back with the biggest contract a Mets manager ever gave a starting pitcher.
It's unlikely that Sterns will outperform, say, Corbin Burnes.
They are no longer the Mets of Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander. It seems they will once again rely on the brand's ace rather than extensive weapons supply.
