NY Mets Monday Morning GM: 5 popular David Stearns decisions that went terribly wrong

3) Re-signing Sean Manaea

It’s not over yet, but round one of three with Sean Manaea’s return has not started off well. Manaea didn’t come off the IL until the last game before the All-Star Break for a relief appearance. As his time with the Mets progressed, he never seemed to fully look like the number one-level starter he was in 2024.

His numbers weren’t horrendous in terms of expectations. He walked less than 2 batters per 9, struck them out at an 11.1 K/9 rate, and was actually strong in the beginning of many of his starts. It was getting through those latter innings when Manaea fell apart. In a season where Clay Holmes was already showing he couldn’t be a master of length, the last thing the Mets needed was for such an important part of the previous year’s roster to do the same.

Manaea was a fan-favorite in 2024 with the way he finished the year, showing off his guts late into the year and through the first two rounds of the playoffs. Bringing him back was an incredibly popular choice. Unfortunately, the injury in the preseason seemed to have a large effect on his performance.

Fans will give Manaea a chance to regain our trust and turn this currently disastrous decision into a far more favorable one. We know the 2024 performance might not happen again. We’ll accept something more in between if it comes with Manaea gobbling up innings and finishing the year strong.