5 NY Mets free agent signings they should make whether they land Juan Soto or not

2) Sean Manaea

Much of what was said about Alonso applies to Sean Manaea, Another Mets free agent who could come back, improve the roster, and not carry any qualifying offer penalties, Manaea would end up as the biggest starting pitcher addition of the offseason for the team. So far they’ve settled on perceived bargain deals with Clay Holmes and Frankie Montas. Manaea would require a bigger paycheck and more years of commitment.

Eventually, the Mets are going to need to start signing pitchers to longer deals. This year-to-year plan is going to bite them more often than not. Some sort of consistency, especially with future free agent markets not having as much abundance of choices, will limit where they can improve.

The Mets knew exactly how to get the most out of Manaea last year. While they do need to draw the line as to how much they’d be willing to pay him and how many years they’d commit, they should give him a fair offer and be among the top pursuers.

Presently missing from the Mets is that top starting pitcher addition. Kodai Senga could conceivably fill the void, however, this team lacks at the top of the rotation even with him penciled in as their number one guy.