Sean Manaea Declining Contract Would Hurt Mets Repeating Magical 2024 Amid MLB Rumors

Sean Manaea intends to opt out of his $13.5 million option with the Mets and test free agency this off-season, MLB's Anthony DiComo reported.

It was to be expected based on the second-half he had in 2024, where he was among the best pitchers in the big leagues and a key piece in the Mets' run to the NLCS.

He had the lowest ERA of his career, outside of a 2019 season in which he played just five games, and pitched the most innings of his career at 181.2. He was reliable, tallied 2.9 strikeouts-per-walk, and had a WAR of 3.0.

What he did on the mound for the Mets, by getting out of jams and going deep into games, allowed the team to preserve its bullpen rather than exhausting them.

He was the organization's best pitcher in the second-half and as important to its success as Francisco Lindor, Pete Alonso, and any of the other stars that fueled the run to the postseason. Manaea created an electric atmosphere while on the mound and earned the respect of a notoriously tough fan base.

Up next for the team will be extending Manaea a qualifying offer. If they do and he still signs elsewhere, there will be draft compensation in return. That compensation, though, will not make up for all that the lefty accomplished in Queens in 2024.

There will be other pitchers available for New York, such as free agents Corbin Burns, Blake Snell, and Max Fried, but they will likely come at a lofty price that could hurt the Mets' chances of bringing in their biggest free agent want, Juan Soto.

The team does not know what it has in any of those free agents but does with Manaea.

The question is whether he could replicate his 2024 performance next season.

If there is one negative about the veteran, it is that he has a history of inconsistency. Would the team get the Manaea of this past season or the player with a .496 ERA in San Diego?

It is a question worth finding out the answer.