The Mets have been thrilled watching Luis Severino and Sean Manaea, each of whom were signed as essentially projects last offseason, grow to be healthy and effective members on the front of their rotation.
It doesn’t sound as if the team, though, is in a rush to make decisions on the futures of their two most consistent starters.
Severino might be a free agent again at season’s end.
Manaea almost definitely might be, too, owning a player option for $13.5 million next season that he is predicted to say no.
“We’re fortunate to have plenty of the fellows are available in and perform well. That’s what you would like,” president of baseball operations David Stearns, speaking generally of the club’s free-agent haul, said before the Mets beat the Red Sox, 7-2, on Tuesday at Citi Field. “It means our evaluation is in a superb spot, and it also means they’ve worked really hard to get themselves here.
“And what meaning for the longer term, we’ll tackle within the offseason. I believe straight away we’re 100% focused on trying to arrange and are available able to play each day.”
The 30-year-old Severino was brought in from the Yankees after a miserable walk-year, posting a 6.65 ERA in 2023 and struggling through injury.
The strong right-hander has made 27 starts to date — his most since 2017 — and pitched to a solid 3.84 ERA.
“It’s a credit to him,” Stearns said. “After we signed him, we met with him. Immediately we talked a few medical plan and the strength and conditioning plan that we thought would profit him. He combined that with what he was already doing [and] has worked exceptionally hard from Day 1.
“And the outcomes have been a very good season where he’s pitched very effectively throughout, and he’s going to pitch a whole season.”
Manaea, meanwhile, has reinvented himself for a second straight season.
Last 12 months, the lefty fell out of the Giants’ rotation, then discovered a sweeper and pitched well as a starter on the season’s close.
This 12 months, Manaea lowered his arm slot a couple of months into the campaign and has authored his best 12 months in his ninth major league season, owning a 3.35 ERA.
“That is someone who’s all the time been an actual talent,” Stearns said. “He’s had superb seasons, and he’s had portions of seasons which were really good. I believe [the] No. 1 [priority] is consistency, and that’s something that Sean expressed to us within the offseason.
“After which having the open dialogue and backwards and forwards — Sean likes to experiment a bit of bit. And he likes to check out latest things.”
Severino and Manaea, who will make more cash this offseason than last, have made strong arguments that the Mets should pursue them strongly again.
Or perhaps the Mets find yourself choosing more short-term deals and believing their staff can uncover the following versions of Severino and Manaea.
“From a player-evaluation standpoint, we do one of the best we will,” Stearns said. “We’re not going to be perfect, but we identified certain players within the offseason that we thought were going to assist the team. And to their credit, they’ve worked really hard and either met or exceeded our expectations.”
Mark Vientos smacked a solo homer within the seventh inning, his twenty second of the 12 months.
The third baseman owns a 14-game hitting streak at home by which he’s 17-for-52 (.327) with six dingers.
Paul Blackburn (right hand contusion) allowed one run in 6 ¹/₃ innings in a rehab start with Triple-A Syracuse. The righty threw 75 pitches.
Stearns can be completely satisfied to make a choice on the role of Kodai Senga, who said Monday he could pitch out of relief in late September. In his recovery from a high-grade calf strain, Senga has built up enough to play catch off a mound.
“I believe the first step is: Let’s get him on a mound and to a spot where we feel like he’s healthy enough to compete at the main league level,” Stearns said, “after which we’ll tackle the role — whether it’s bullpen, whether it’s starter, whether it’s a few innings on the front of the sport.”
Stearns, who’s the president of baseball operations for a club with out a general manager, said he isn’t sure yet whether he’ll hire a GM.
“Going to tackle that one within the offseason,” Stearns said.
There aren’t any plans in the mean time for a follow-up MRI exam on Dedniel Nunez’s arm.
Nunez, who isn’t expected to throw during this homestand with right forearm tightness that has popped up for a second time, is working with trainers.
“We have now to attend for the following few days and see how he responds,” manager Carlos Mendoza said of Nunez, who Mendoza says still has time to return this season.
The Mets have been thrilled watching Luis Severino and Sean Manaea, each of whom were signed as essentially projects last offseason, grow to be healthy and effective members on the front of their rotation.
It doesn’t sound as if the team, though, is in a rush to make decisions on the futures of their two most consistent starters.
Severino might be a free agent again at season’s end.
Manaea almost definitely might be, too, owning a player option for $13.5 million next season that he is predicted to say no.
“We’re fortunate to have plenty of the fellows are available in and perform well. That’s what you would like,” president of baseball operations David Stearns, speaking generally of the club’s free-agent haul, said before the Mets beat the Red Sox, 7-2, on Tuesday at Citi Field. “It means our evaluation is in a superb spot, and it also means they’ve worked really hard to get themselves here.
“And what meaning for the longer term, we’ll tackle within the offseason. I believe straight away we’re 100% focused on trying to arrange and are available able to play each day.”
The 30-year-old Severino was brought in from the Yankees after a miserable walk-year, posting a 6.65 ERA in 2023 and struggling through injury.
The strong right-hander has made 27 starts to date — his most since 2017 — and pitched to a solid 3.84 ERA.
“It’s a credit to him,” Stearns said. “After we signed him, we met with him. Immediately we talked a few medical plan and the strength and conditioning plan that we thought would profit him. He combined that with what he was already doing [and] has worked exceptionally hard from Day 1.
“And the outcomes have been a very good season where he’s pitched very effectively throughout, and he’s going to pitch a whole season.”
Manaea, meanwhile, has reinvented himself for a second straight season.
Last 12 months, the lefty fell out of the Giants’ rotation, then discovered a sweeper and pitched well as a starter on the season’s close.
This 12 months, Manaea lowered his arm slot a couple of months into the campaign and has authored his best 12 months in his ninth major league season, owning a 3.35 ERA.
“That is someone who’s all the time been an actual talent,” Stearns said. “He’s had superb seasons, and he’s had portions of seasons which were really good. I believe [the] No. 1 [priority] is consistency, and that’s something that Sean expressed to us within the offseason.
“After which having the open dialogue and backwards and forwards — Sean likes to experiment a bit of bit. And he likes to check out latest things.”
Severino and Manaea, who will make more cash this offseason than last, have made strong arguments that the Mets should pursue them strongly again.
Or perhaps the Mets find yourself choosing more short-term deals and believing their staff can uncover the following versions of Severino and Manaea.
“From a player-evaluation standpoint, we do one of the best we will,” Stearns said. “We’re not going to be perfect, but we identified certain players within the offseason that we thought were going to assist the team. And to their credit, they’ve worked really hard and either met or exceeded our expectations.”
Mark Vientos smacked a solo homer within the seventh inning, his twenty second of the 12 months.
The third baseman owns a 14-game hitting streak at home by which he’s 17-for-52 (.327) with six dingers.
Paul Blackburn (right hand contusion) allowed one run in 6 ¹/₃ innings in a rehab start with Triple-A Syracuse. The righty threw 75 pitches.
Stearns can be completely satisfied to make a choice on the role of Kodai Senga, who said Monday he could pitch out of relief in late September. In his recovery from a high-grade calf strain, Senga has built up enough to play catch off a mound.
“I believe the first step is: Let’s get him on a mound and to a spot where we feel like he’s healthy enough to compete at the main league level,” Stearns said, “after which we’ll tackle the role — whether it’s bullpen, whether it’s starter, whether it’s a few innings on the front of the sport.”
Stearns, who’s the president of baseball operations for a club with out a general manager, said he isn’t sure yet whether he’ll hire a GM.
“Going to tackle that one within the offseason,” Stearns said.
There aren’t any plans in the mean time for a follow-up MRI exam on Dedniel Nunez’s arm.
Nunez, who isn’t expected to throw during this homestand with right forearm tightness that has popped up for a second time, is working with trainers.
“We have now to attend for the following few days and see how he responds,” manager Carlos Mendoza said of Nunez, who Mendoza says still has time to return this season.
