NY Mets enter the MLB Winter Meetings with Juan Soto and need to leave with this other free agent

It's been a whirlwind offseason for the New York Mets and the action should only heat up now that the Winter Meetings are upon us. They've added depth to their starting rotation with the signing of Frankie Montas and the Clay Holmes experiment. They finally reeled in the biggest fish of the offseason giving Juan Soto a record-breaking contract.

Beyond that, there have been some depth moves here and there to help fill out the roster. If they were to put a bow on things today and sit out the Winter Meetings action some might not blame them. Of course, that would be a huge mistake, and David Stearns' next target should be clearly in focus.

The NY Mets need to reunite with Sean Manaea during the Winter Meetings

Make no mistake, the sound of Soto's pen gliding across the dotted line on the largest free-agent contract ever was also the sound of Steve Cohen and David Stearns pushing their chips all-in on the 2025 season. The goal is World Series or bust now, there is no other alternative.

However, no matter how you may feel about a Montas rebound after another year removed from shoulder surgery, and/or a Holmes breakout in the rotation, you still can't objectively look at the Mets' starters on paper and feel as though it's a group that you can count on in October.

Heading into the weekend, MLB Insider John Heyman gave an update on the top suitors for Corbin Burnes, the jewel of this year's pitching market. Conspicuously absent from that list were the New York Mets.

If the Mets aren't in on Burnes, and we've heard crickets about their interest in Max Fried, then it is imperative that bringing back Sean Manaea to Flushing their priority.

Replacing 363.2 innings that Manaea and Severino produced with ERAs under 4 last season with a guy in Montas who posted a 4.84 ERA in 150 innings and Holmes who logged 67 innings as a reliever and at times looked out of gas down the stretch as demonstrated by his 3.75 ERA in the second half of the year versus the 2.77 ERA he recorded in prior to the All-Star break. That's nothing new for Holmes, whose career second-half ERA is 4.64 as opposed to his career first-half ERA of 3.04, raising concerns that he can hold up under a starter's workload.

In addition to the durability and high-end performance that Manaea can bring, he also helps bring balance to the rotation in another way. As currently constructed, David Peterson is the only lefty in the rotation and has never recorded more than last season's 121 innings pitched in a single season.

Bringing Manaea back into the fold gives the Mets another lefty, and one who they can count on to both eat innings and perform at a high level. Peterson posted a 2.90 ERA last season, but his performance was buoyed by a minuscule 0.60 HR/9 rate. In 2023, he had an ERA of 5.03 in 21 starts and 111 innings pitched. That's hardly reliable performance, and if he struggles his replacements would all be right-handed.

If the Mets aren't in on Burnes or Fried then Manaea is a must. The starting pitching market is exploding, and Manaea will cost a pretty penny, but at his age and as the second-tier high-end starter option, he'll still be cheaper and most importantly command fewer years than the six or seven that many believe Burnes and Fried will receive.

The Mets are all-in and adding another top-of-the-rotation starter is the all-in move, and all things considered, Sean Manaea is clearly the best option.