4 contracts that could hold the NY Mets back in 2026 and beyond

The Mets already regret the three-year $75 million dollar contract they handed Sean Manaea

Remaining: two years, $38.9 million, $22 million AAV (counted against the luxury tax)

When the Mets re-signed Sean Manaea, it was with the belief that their vaunted pitching lab had fixed the talented yet inconsistent and injury-prone left-hander. Instead, he reverted to the worst version of what he's been in the past, and the man tasked with his turnaround, Jeremy Hefner, was dismissed and landed with the Atlanta Braves.

A lat injury delayed his 2025 campaign and limited him to just 60.2 innings pitched. Those innings weren't effective, and at one point his struggles were so bad that he wound up being relegated to the bullpen for a short time. The final ERA of 5.64 was a massive disappointment for both the team and the man whom they were banking on to anchor their starting rotation.

Now the Mets enter the offseason seeking an actual ace, and Manaea's role is expected to be minimized in 2026. The idea of him as an ace was always a bit of a stretch, but the fact that they aren't counting on him as the Robin to a Batman to be named later is a huge indication of just how much he's holding the team back.

If there's a saving grace, it's the fact that the way the Mets structured his contract with deferrals makes the hit against the luxury tax slightly less than what it would otherwise be. Still, it's hard to say what the Mets can expect from Manaea in 2026, let alone what role he can play for them in 2027.