Is Sean Manaea’s three-year, $75 million contract with the New York Mets the best free agent deal of the offseason?

Mets: Sean Manaea’s $75M deal among best of the offseason

It sure looks like one of them. Other ball clubs around the MLB lucked up on generational talents. The Arizona Diamondbacks inked ace Corbin Burnes to a six-year, $210 million deal. The New York Yankees added a second lead man in Max Fried next to Gerrit Cole on an eight-year, $218 million agreement. As for the reigning World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers, they scored by signing former National League Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell to a five-year, $182 million deal on Nov. 26.

Manaea is a class below those three elite hurlers, but is still one of the best No. 2 or 3 options in the Major Leagues. Compared to other pitchers of his ilk, his deal holds up outstandingly. They include two-time All-Star and two-time World Series champion Nathan Eovaldi, who returned to the Texas Rangers on an identical three-year, $75M deal. Manaea’s former Mets teammate Luis Severino joined the Oakland Athletics, pocketing $67 million over three years while reigning champion Walker Buehler headed to the Boston Red Sox on a one-year, $21.05 million contract.

Manaea outpaced contemporary free agents in 2024

Manaea stands above that field. Eovaldi had a noteworthy season for the Rangers in 2024, but fell short to Manaea in the ERA and strikeouts departments.

Severino was the Mets’ stand-in ace for much of the previous campaign while Kodai Senga was out due to a pair of injuries. But by the time the final stretch of the season concluded, Manaea’s torrid finish put him on equal footing with the Dominican star.

As for Buehler, he turned back the clock in the playoffs and was one of the Dodgers’ most impactful World Series heroes. However, he’ll have to prove that he’s truly back to his old ways after a glaringly underwhelming regular season showing — accentuated by his 1-6 record and inflated 5.38 ERA called into question whether or not he still had it in him to continue competing in the Majors.

Mets & Manaea benefit from lucrative 3-year agreement

Manaea’s deal is favorable for New York on many fronts. For one, it gives them the upper hand to watch him prove that he can sustain his near-All-Star level of play. Per Mike Fitzpatrick of the Associated Press, the Mets are also deferring $7.75 million from his $25 million annual salary until 2035. That alleviates the financial burden that his yearly payout will have on the Mets’ expensive payroll for the immediate future.

As for the 32-year-old, he has ample time to build upon his strong showing last year and help New York contend for a World Series crown in 2025. He’ll still be their No. 2 guy next season even after the organization brought Clay Holmes and Frankie Montas on board. The Mets’ outlook appears bright with Manaea helping to lead their charge.