Mets Ace Expected to Opt Out of Deal; Will he return?

The New York Mets have a lot of questions to deal with at the starting pitcher position this offseason.

One question is whether Kodai Senga — the pitcher New York projected would be their ace this 2024 season — can stay healthy through Opening Day in 2025.

They also need to decide which top starting players are a priority in free agency, as Corbin Burnes, Max Fried and Blake Snell have been linked and may be in play for others.

The Mets front office also needs to figure out which of their three most consistent starters this season they want to pursue in free agency. Two of them (Luis Severino and Jose Quintana) are expected to become unrestricted free agents, while Sean Manaea has a $13.5 million player option for the 2025 season.

Manaea — who is 2-0 this postseason with a 2.65 ERA and 17 strikeouts in 17 innings — has not said publicly whether he will pursue that option or leave in free agency. But an Oct. 17 article by Bleacher Report's Tim Kelly suggested his decision will likely be an easy one.

“That’s about as obvious as it gets on this list,” Kelly wrote.

“Manaea had the best season of his career in 2024, going 12-6 with a 3.47 ERA and 3.83 FIP over 181.2 innings. Both he and Luis Severino, who revived their careers, were important factors in the Mets making a magical run to the NLCS.

“So Manaea will obviously forgo $13.5 million in 2025,” Kelly continued. “The Mets will likely counter that by extending him a one-year qualifying offer of $21.05 million. He could either accept that and return to the Mets in 2025 or reject it and seek more overall money than a multi-year free agency contract.”

Kelly then added, “However, if the qualifying offer was attached to him, that would mean that any team other than the Mets would have to forgo draft compensation to sign him.”

“It just feels like Manaea will probably return to the Mets in 2025 in one way or another. But not for $13.5 million.”

While it's not a given that their postseason ace will opt out of his contract isn't ideal, Mets fans will certainly like to hear that Kelly believes Manaea will return to Queens in 2025.