New York Mets veteran left-hander Sean Manaea does not seem like a valuable trade chip. Buried in the rotation due to a youth push and his own rough season, the southpaw still could command a decent yield in a trade. Is it considered a smart move by general manager David Stearns or a salary dump by a team looking to ditch an inflated salary?
With a three-year, $75 million deal and just $17.2 million remaining before ten years of deferred money take shape, can Stearns find a taker? Granted, the Mets may not be willing to absorb some of the contracts.
Six strong innings from Sean Manaea pic.twitter.com/xL4eDq2DxU
— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) July 25, 2026
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Manaea’s Tenure Started Greatly Before Declining
During his first year with the Mets, Manaea tied a career-high with 12 victories. Two of his pitches back then, the four-seamer and sinker, averaged over 92 miles per hour, according to Baseball Savant. More importantly, he challenged opponents in and around the strike zone. Opponents hit just .163 facing his fastball. Last year, injury and ineffectiveness haunted the southpaw.
Manaea only depended on the three pitches (four-seamer, sweeper, changeup). Yet, the fastball’s velocity dipped to 91.7. While. Half a mile per hour does not seem great. Realize that slower pitches stay in the strike zone longer, giving batters the time and opportunity to hit the ball.
Sean Manaea goes 7 against the Royals pic.twitter.com/TuqrKRJcjX
— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) July 9, 2026
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Resurgence?
After starting the season in the bullpen, Manaea found his way into the rotation due to injury. Over his last five starts, the 36-year-old surrendered three runs just once. However, the offense only provided Manaea with 14 runs in those starts, with the Mets losing four of those starts. Bob Nightengale of USA Today named the Chicago White Sox as a contender with one caveat.”
“The Chicago White Sox badly want starting pitching but are telling teams that they will not trade any of their top 10 prospects. They would be willing to add onto their payroll, however, and assume the entirety of a player’s contract.”
If what Nightengale alleged is true, then Chicago has several prospects who could fit into the Mets’ scheme. First, outfielder George Wolkow is a 6-foot-7 left-handed outfielder with great power and a strong arm, hitting mammoth home runs.
George Wolkow hits the ball to the RCF neighbors backyard for his 15th HR on the year. #Dash up 10-2. They would win 10-4. pic.twitter.com/vZ29722Asc
— FutureSox (@FutureSox) July 13, 2026
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Possible Fit?
While the outfield does appear crowded, the lefty batter could eventually become a first baseman, long a problem for the franchise. Considering how much the Mets owe Manaea, they need to take whatever they can get and take his check off the payroll.
The Mets, as a team, have the luxury of trading multiple players. In essence, their season is not going to end in a playoff. Instead, another disappointing season finds its way to Queens. However, unlike last year’s collapse, this year felt lost after the first couple of weeks. The losses to St. Louis early on set the town back.
Given what the team invested, the results did not justify the investment. Yet, with teams like the White Sox who remain in the playoff hunt, the Mets have an opportunity to change their future with a bunch of smaller moves on top of a much larger one that could still happen. Can Stearns find a taker for Manaea?
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