Just like Juan Soto, Sean Manaea was persuaded by New York Mets' family feeling

Updated Jan. 13, 2025 6:37 p.m. ET

Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — Sean Manaea was taken by the New York Mets' family feeling, just like Juan Soto.

“I thought that it was a perfect fit. I know Talat, my wife now, she loved it on the family side, as well,” Manaea said Monday during a Zoom call to discuss his $75 million, three-year contract with the Mets that was announced Dec. 27.

Manaea, who turns 33 on Feb. 1, had signed two-year deals in each of the previous two offseasons, first a $25 million agreement with San Francisco and then a $28 million deal with the Mets. He opted out each time after one season to become a free agent again.

“Earlier in the offseason there was a couple of teams that had reached out and so we talked to them,” he said. “I don’t think it really made it too far past kind of like the talking stages."

Manaea went 12-6 with a 3.47 ERA in 32 starts for the Mets last year. The left-hander lowered his arm slot in midseason, was 6-2 with a 3.09 ERA in his final 12 regular-season outings and went 2-1 with a 4.74 ERA in four postseason appearances.

Staying with the Mets was his first choice.

“The communication between the wives and the organization has been incredible," he said. "I know Talat's said a lot of great things about them. And they just take care of everything. When I’m at the field, you need tickets or something like that, it’s super easy and they kind of accommodate for that.”

Soto cited the family tone set by owner Steve Cohen and wife Alex in his decision last month to sign a record $765 million, 15-year contract with the Mets.

Manaea has been working on his changeup this offseason in Florida, at Driveline Baseball and Diesel Optimization. He credited pitching coach Jeremy Hefner and the Mets' staff for his second-half surge.

“He kind of allowed me to be like myself and kind of experiment with some things, and just kind of bouncing ideas off of him. And just very easy to talk to as far as like pitching and pitch design,” Manaea said.

He was pitching for San Diego in 2022 when the Padres acquired Sot o in a midseason trade with Washington.

“You could just feel his energy,” Manaea said.

Manaea will be starting his second straight season with the same team for the first time since he spent his first six big league seasons with Oakland through 2021.

“It’s fun being on an adventure of seeing new cities, being in different organizations, meeting friends, stuff like that,” he said. “At a certain point it’s kind of nice just to ... settle down and have some roots."

Manaea has been training this winter with slugger Pete Alonso, a free agent who has spent his entire career in the Mets organization.

“I would definitely love to have him back on the Mets and be our first baseman,” Manaea said. “We pretty much work out every day. He might show up a little earlier than I do.”

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