The New York Mets have struck gold, landing two key free agents from their cross-town rivals, the New York Yankees. They signed Clay Holmes on Friday and added him to their rotation, but the biggest splash was signing Juan Soto for 15 years and $765 million.
Left-hander Sean Manaea was predicted to receive a five-year, $90 million contract by Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report last week. R.J. Anderson of CBS Sports predicted on Monday that he will stay with the Mets.
“The Mets have already added two starting pitchers to their mix this offseason, inking Frankie Montas and Clay Holmes. Factor in the Soto signing and you might think they’d be done shopping near the top of the market. We have to imagine they’d still be open to reuniting with Manaea,” Anderson wrote.
Manaea had the best season of his career with the Mets. The 32-year-old left-hander posted a 3.0 WAR, winning 12 games and posting a 3.47 ERA in his 32 starts while also logging 181 2/3 innings, striking out 184 batters and posting a 1.08 WHIP.
While he isn’t on the same level as somebody like Corbin Burnes or Max Fried, he still fits quite nicely with New York’s starting staff. They’ll have Kodai Senga back and healthy for 2025, and Manaea could easily profile as the team’s No. 2 starter.
It will be interesting to see what else the Mets can do at the Winter Meetings this week.
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MLB News: NY Mets owner Steve Cohen reveals struggles behind Juan Soto trade
After finalizing the Juan Soto trade, New York Mets owner Steve Cohen opened up about the challenges he’s faced following the record-breaking contract he signed, currently the largest in MLB history.
The largest contract in MLB heading into next season belongs to Juan Soto, who inked a monumental 15-year, $765 million deal with the New York Mets. This marks the opportunity of a lifetime for Soto, but behind the scenes, Mets owner Steve Cohen has revealed that this offseason’s biggest deal didn’t come without its challenges.
Owning an MLB team means dealing with constant pressure—from fans, media, and the relentless task of building a championship-caliber roster. But for Cohen, the pursuit of Soto was one of his most intense and difficult endeavors yet.
In an exclusive interview with The New York Post’s Jon Heyman, Cohen opened up about the decision to bring Soto to Citi Field. “I was being logical. When you have [Aaron] Judge, it’s tough to beat that, but Juan was great. But what they had… I didn’t know how to solve that,” Cohen shared.
Despite the challenges posed by competing with the Yankees, Cohen decided to push forward with the acquisition. The process was emotional, with fluctuating feelings and uncertainty. “There was a lot of emotion and a lot of ups and downs, not knowing where you stood,” Cohen admitted, reflecting on the rollercoaster of negotiations that led to Soto’s eventual move to New York.
Cohen wasn’t sure he’d land Soto
Even after meeting with Juan Soto in Florida and leaving the meeting with a positive feeling, Steve Cohen wasn’t convinced he had a chance to land the former Yankees star. “I told people I wasn’t sure, and that the Mets were running second—right up until the moment we finished first,” Cohen recalled.
MLB News: Juan Soto’s new contract with the NY Mets could boost his value under one condition
Despite his reservations, Cohen kept pushing. “I kept bidding anyway. I was so sure we were headed for bridesmaid territory that I joked with friends about whether there was a prize for second place.” With that mindset, the Mets owner persevered, ultimately securing the deal and delivering a huge win for the fans.
“Juan’s going to be very happy with the Mets,” Cohen said, speaking candidly about the prized acquisition. Though the odds initially seemed stacked against him, Cohen’s persistence paid off, and he believes the addition of Soto will help propel the Mets back into the postseason in 2025.
Soto’s record-breaking contract
As in other major sports like soccer and the NBA, the MLB is experiencing a surge in player valuations as athletes continue to raise the bar on the field. The latest example of this trend came when Shohei Ohtani, the Japanese superstar, inked a historic $700 million, 10-year deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Now, with Juan Soto’s newly signed contract, MLB has once again set a new precedent. Soto’s deal, which is not only the largest in MLB history but also makes him the highest-paid player in the history of the New York Mets, will see him earn $51 million annually. This surpasses the $34 million per year currently earned by Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor. To put this into perspective, Soto’s contract is worth more than the combined value of 22 MLB team owners.
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