5 best Mets starting pitcher free agent targets who won't cost $100 million

2) Sean Manaea

After Kodai Senga's injury at the beginning of the 2024 season, the Mets were left without an ace in their rotation, which raised doubts about the team's chances of reaching the postseason in that season. Surprisingly, Sean Manaea came out as the leader of the rotation thanks to a change in his throwing mechanics, decreasing the angle of his arm in his throwing mechanics, somehow imitating Chris Sale in a type of crossfire throw.

Since Manaea's adjustment to his pitching, the left-hander managed to limit the opposition to a batting average of just .188, with an unbeatable WHIP of 0.94 and a BABIP of .216. Likewise, Manaea increased his strikeout percentage by two percentage points and decreased his walk percentage by almost four points, all this also limiting the hard-hit contact of his opponents by 3 percentage points.

The efficiency shown by Manaea, his ability to respond when needed, and his work throughout the year make it unquestionable how important it would be for the Mets to have his services again. The most complicated aspect with Manaea is the type of contract he would demand after what was shown in 2024.

Manaea would begin 2025 at 33 years of age, thus limiting his ability to obtain a long-term contract, which would incline him to seek an average annual value of $20 million or more per year. In a scenario where Manaea demands a contract of this type for three seasons with a possible vesting option for a fourth year, it would be an ideal scenario for the Mets to stabilize Manaea at the top of the rotation for next season along with Senga.