The New York Mets have been big spenders this season, stealing Juan Soto from the Yankees with a historic $765 million contract. But the MLB’s richest owner Steve Cohen might not be done digging cash out of his pockets this offseason.
The Mets could be ready to hand out another $100 million
Mets pitcher Sean Manaea is due for an extension as he enters his age-33 season. The left-handed pitcher declined his $13.5 million 2025 player option in November and is now seeking a multi-year deal on the open market. He subsequently declined the Mets’ $21.05 million qualifying offer as well.
Now a free agent, Manaea is in line to land himself a contract that could exceed a total value of $100 million. According to Jon Morosi of MLB Network, Manaea is viewed within the industry as likely to surpass Nathan Eovaldi’s three-year, $75 million contract. His next deal could land north of the $100 million threshold, especially if the contract is extended by four years. The Mets will need to decide if extending Manaea at such a steep price tag is worthwhile.
Should the Mets extend Sean Manaea?
Manaea was a crucial member of the Mets’ rotation in the 2024 season. He posted a 12-6 record with a 3.47 ERA and 2.92-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 32 starts. His 3.09 ERA over his final 12 starts could convince teams to pay a major price to acquire Manaea’s pitching services.
In 2024, Manaea effectively utilized a wide variety of pitches but leaned heavily on his sinker. He pitched the sinker 43% of the time with an average speed of 92.3 miles per hour — the same average as his four-seam fastball which he used 11% of the time. His sinker yielded a 21.0 Whiff% and 21.6 K%. When pitching a sweeper, however, he posted a 38.8 Whiff% and 41.5 K% (Baseball Savant).
Manaea has a versatile left arm with a variety of pitches to utilize. He threw clutch innings for the Mets down the stretch and contributed majorly to their deep postseason run. While his price tag may be steep, Cohen and company might be willing to meet Manaea’s demands to keep him pitching for the Mets in 2025 and beyond.
