Manaea Signing Brings Rotation Into Focus

With the re-signing of Sean Manaea, the Mets’ rotation may be set, and while they haven’t added a big name to the mix, it looks promising. A duo of arms with All-Star potential headline the top of the rotation, while lots of (hopefully quality) depth remains at the bottom.

Manaea, 32, was 12-6 with a 3.47 ERA and 1.08 WHIP while notching a career-high in innings (181.2), which made for a fine year overall. But he was even better in the second half after changing his arm slot to mimic Chris Sale. In 21 starts between July 1 through the playoffs, he pitched to a 3.40 ERA and 0.99 WHIP, per MLB.com. He finished 11th in Cy Young voting.

Kodai Senga, 31, was an All-Star (and seventh in the Cy Young vote) when he pitched a full season in his 2023 rookie year, going 12-7 with a 2.98 ERA and 1.22 WHIP over 166.1 innings. He struck out a rookie-leading 202 batters that year. A healthy Senga should more than makeup for the departure of Luis Severino.

The 19th-century philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “It is not the length of life, but the depth of life,” and the same is true of a 21st-century pitching rotation. The Mets could go to a six-man rotation, and all signs point in that direction. David Peterson (10-3, 2.90 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 2.9 bWAR) is coming off a career year and figures to slot in as the No. 3 starter.

Poaching Yankees is a popular trend under David Stearns (Carlos Mendoza, Juan Soto, Luis Torrens, etc.), and a pair of former Yankees in Clay Holmes and Frankie Montas (a 2022-2023 Yank) will look to shore up the bottom of the rotation.

Holmes, 31, is looking to convert from reliever to full-time starter for the first time. He’s only made four career starts, all with the Pirates in 2018. He made the All-Star team in two of his last three seasons, although a rash of blown saves saw him lose his closer’s job this year.

Montas, 31, was 7-11 with a 4.84 ERA and 1.36 WHIP in 30 starts with the Reds and Brewers. He figures to have plenty of competition for a spot between Tylor Megill, Griffin Canning, Paul Blackburn and José Buttó. A few of these hurlers appear headed for the bullpen.

The Mets may not be done. They are one of several teams to meet with potential 23-year-old ace Rōki Sasaki, who, like Senga, played in the Japan Pacific League in 2021-2022. Jack Flaherty remains a free agent, along with Nick Pivetta and Max Scherzer (no thank you). Trade rumors surrounding Luis Castillo continue to swirl, and he might cost the Mets a couple of prospects they wouldn’t want to part with right now (Luisangel Acuña, for example). Ace Corbin Burnes is out there, too, but the Mets have not been linked to him and are unlikely to go after a front-line starter.

According to Anthony DiComo of MLB, David Stearns referenced wanting 8-10 MLB-caliber starters on the depth chart entering 2025. With the addition of Manaea, the Mets sit at around nine starters. They may add, they may be set. But if the Mets are finished with their starter search, there is reason to think this rotation – on paper and if healthy –  is better than the one that entered 2024. That team won 89 games and came within two wins of a World Series appearance.

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