The Mets were busy in the weeks leading up to their historic, 15-year agreement with Juan Soto, but it had been oddly quiet in Queens since Soto’s momentous introductory news conference on Dec. 12. That finally changed this week, with reports that the Mets have agreed to a three-year, $75 million deal to keep left-handed pitcher Sean Manaea in Queens following a terrific, breakout campaign for the 32-year-old southpaw.
Beyond their pursuit of Soto, one of the biggest storylines for the Mets entering this winter was how they would rebuild their rotation. In Manaea, Luis Severino and Jose Quintana, New York had its three top starters from 2024 hitting free agency at the same time.
In response, the Mets first signed right-hander Frankie Montas to a two-year, $34 million deal. Then, not long after Severino inked a surprising, three-year deal to lead the A’s rotation as the franchise transitions to Sacramento, the Mets signed a second starting pitcher — and not one that many expected. Clay Holmes, the recent bullpen standout for the Yankees, agreed to a three-year, $38 million deal with the Mets and will attempt to transition back to a starting role he has not occupied since his rookie year with Pittsburgh in 2018.
Montas and Holmes represented two intriguing steps toward assembling a new rotation, as both came with considerable questions based on their recent performance and roles. But their signings appeared to be a vote of confidence in the club’s pitching development infrastructure, which has begun to prove its mettle with the successes of Severino and Manaea, among others.
The starting pitching market heated up significantly at the winter meetings in December. But as a tidal wave of big contracts and blockbuster trades involving front-end arms came and went, Manaea remained unsigned. Meanwhile, having added Montas, Holmes and another depth piece in Griffin Canning, the new Mets rotation had started to take shape. Add an effective holdover in lefty David Peterson and, perhaps most importantly, a hopefully healthy Kodai Senga, and the Mets appeared to have the foundation for a solid starting staff. But for a club with World Series aspirations — and one that just gave $765 million to Soto — it felt light.
Manaea changes that. The true upside for this staff still hinges largely on Senga’s durability, as he offers the most impactful potential. But Manaea solidifies the middle of New York’s rotation and helps balance out the questions present in…