Mets add Manaea, need to tread water until 2025
The team makes another addition to their starting rotation. Plus, how the Mets need to tread water through the next season.
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What’s Up with the Mets? 🍎
The Mets reportedly signed LHP Sean Manaea to a two-year deal worth $28 million (story)
Newest Mets OF Harrison Bader has multiple performance bonuses in his contract with the club (Heyman)
The Mets just need to tread water until 2025 ✍️
With their latest addition in Sean Manaea it seems the Mets are done adding to their rotation for the 2024 season. They previously added two right handers Luis Severino and Adrian Houser earlier in the offseason, so their rotation will likely consist of those three plus Kodai Senga and José Quintana. They also have Tylor Megill, Joey Lucchesi, José Butto, and Mike Vasil (yet to make his MLB debut) to provide some depth in case of injury or perhaps grab a spot in the bullpen as the longman.
While Senga unquestionably became the ace of this staff last season, that is not a exactly a rotation that will strike fear in many people’s hearts. There’s a lot of risk vs. reward here and if they play up to their potential they could at least be a solid rotation that will keep them in games and give them a chance to win. If not, however, it could be another long year for this rotation.
That is probably what the 2024 season will be as a whole. Nothing overpowering but perhaps a chance to win if things break right. They could potentially sneak into the expanded playoffs where anything can happen – just look at what’s happened the last two seasons – but as it stands right now, this is a team that is moreso built to compete in 2025.
The free agent class for that offseason includes Zack Wheeler, Max Fried, Corbin Burnes, and Walker Buehler on the pitching side of things. The Mets will have Quintana, Severino, and Houser coming off the books as well as potentially Pete Alonso. The team could easily upgrade their rotation next season as well as target the biggest free agent of them all in Juan Soto if he does not extend with the Yankees. Of course, with Steve Cohen as their owner they could both extend Alonso and target Soto while still looking to upgrade their rotation.
After missing out on Shohei Ohtani and Yamamoto earlier in the offseason, David Stearns clearly deemed the free agent class of 2024 as one that was not worth going all-in for. The opportunity is there next season especially if they further develop the prospects they received at the 2023 trade deadline. And while it’s a tough sell to Mets fans telling them to be patient for another year, it might ultimately be the smart play in the long run.
Hot Stove 🔥
The Dodgers signed OF Teoscar Hernández to a one-year, $23.5 million contract
The Red Sox are reportedly making closer Kenley Jansen available in trades (USA Today)
The Brewers are not looking to trade their ace Corbin Burnes (USA Today)
The Yankees are still looking to upgrade their rotation after losing out on Yoshinobu Yamamoto (Heyman)