The New York Mets have signed LHP Sean Manaea in their latest offseason acquisition.
As ESPN relayed the news originally reported by the New York Post, the Mets inked Manaea to a two-year, $28 million deal. Here’s a better breakdown of how his contract will be divided over those two seasons:
“A 31-year-old left-hander, Manaea gets $14.5 million this year and $13.5 million in 2025. He has the right to opt out of the deal after the 2024 season,” the network shared.
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Manaea Brings Respectable Peripherals to Mets’ Pitching Staff
Outside of his face-value 7-6 record with a 4.44 ERA and 128 strikeouts in 2023, Manaea will help the Mets in a few areas.
Manaea has seen a significant decrease season-over-season since 2021 in innings pitched as well as in strikeouts, but posted a career-low 36.4 percent hard-hit percentage, which ranked in the 68th percentile among all Major League pitchers.
Additionally, Manaea brings a four-seam fastball to the Mets’ rotation — a pitch he fancies 56.4 percent of the time. Kodai Senga also uses the pitch more than any other in his arsenal, at 37.1 percent, and Jose Quintana who is second in their pitching ranks backs his slider up with it at 24.5 percent.
The Mets will be able to dominate opposing batters with the four-seam fastball while showing other looks, as all three have alternative primary or secondary pitches in their repertoire.
Can Manaea Help Bring the Mets Back to WS Contention Status?
He’ll look to help a pitching staff that carried the Mets to 78 wins last season. Manaea’s playoff experience will also come in handy, though he’ll look to help catapult the franchise back to the postseason in 2024 and turn his 0-3 record around in the process.
