Veteran left-handed pitcher Sean Manaea will not be part of the New York Mets’ starting rotation to begin the new season, as manager Carlos Mendoza revealed Saturday that the 34-year-old will instead work out of the bullpen.
The Mets have decided on a five-pitcher starting rotation that will feature Freddy Peralta, David Peterson, Nolan McLean, Clay Holmes, and Kodai Senga in the early rotation order.
Mendoza plans to utilize Manaea in a piggyback capacity during the season’s opening week, where he would enter games following a starter for extended relief work. The manager has not yet specified which game will feature Manaea in this role.
New York begins their season Thursday at home with a three-game series against the Pittsburgh Pirates, followed by road trips to face the St. Louis Cardinals for three games and the San Francisco Giants for four contests.
Speaking to reporters from Port St. Lucie, Florida, Mendoza explained the difficult decision: “Six guys throwing the ball really well. And we were pretty honest with all of them at the beginning of camp. If everyone was healthy, we were going to have to make some tough decisions and one of them was going to be pitching in that type of role.”
The Mets will wrap up spring training Sunday with a 12-10-2 record.
During spring training, Manaea appeared in three starts, pitching 9.2 innings while striking out nine batters. He finished the preseason 0-2 with a 3.72 ERA.
The 2024 campaign was challenging for Manaea, as injuries restricted him to just 15 appearances, including 12 starts. He posted a 2-4 record with a 5.64 ERA across 60 2/3 innings.
Throughout his major league career spanning 243 games with 210 starts, Manaea holds a 79-66 record and 4.08 ERA over 1,245 innings. He has played for the Oakland Athletics from 2016-2021, San Diego Padres in 2022, San Francisco Giants in 2023, and the Mets.
Manaea initially joined New York on a two-year, $28 million contract before the 2024 season. After posting a strong 12-6 record with a 3.47 ERA and career-best 181 2/3 innings across 32 starts, he chose to opt out and negotiate a more lucrative deal. He is now signed with the Mets through 2027 following a three-year, $75 million agreement.
