Left-hander Sean Manaea has agreed to a three-year, $75 million contract to stay with the New York Mets, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan. After a resurgent season with the Mets, where he transformed his pitching approach mid-season, Manaea emerged as a prized free agent. His revitalization was sparked by strategic adjustments to his pitch repertoire and mechanics. By increasing his reliance on sinkers and sweepers, and tweaking his arm angle, he rediscovered his effectiveness.
The results were staggering: a league-average ERA+ of 100, masking a dominant second half that propelled him back into the spotlight.
BREAKING: Left-hander Sean Manaea and the New York Mets are in agreement on a three-year, $75 million contract, sources tell ESPN. The 32-year-old is running it back with the Mets.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) December 23, 2024
Mets Re-Sign Sean Manaea for Three Years
Manaea posted a 3.09 ERA and a .170 average against in 12 regular-season starts after debuting the new delivery on July 30. He took on the duty of ace and proved to be one of the majors’ best pitchers. From July until the end of the regular season, Manaea ranked second in the majors in quality starts (12), first in innings (105 1/3), sixth in strikeouts (108), and sixth in WHIP (0.93).
As the season progressed, the demanding workload began to take a toll on Manaea, who openly acknowledged reaching a breaking point during the intense playoff battles of the National League Championship Series. He stood out among his peers, making a remarkable 36 starts—more than any other pitcher. By the end of the season, when factoring in the postseason, he logged an impressive 200 1/3 innings on the mound, placing him eighth in the majors. This achievement marked a significant increase, as he completed 83 more innings than he had in the previous season with the San Francisco Giants.
A nine-year major league veteran, Manaea is 77-62 with a 4.00 ERA in 198 starts. That also includes 30 relief appearances with the Oakland Athletics (2016-21), San Diego Padres (2022), Giants and Mets. He joined New York last offseason on a two-year, $28 million deal that included his $13.5 million contract option.
Main Photo: © Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
