I think Steve Cohen is realizing that the trick with this Mets team is not paying millions for big stars, but giving a chance to people that the other guys aren't looking that and watching them have the best seasons they've had in years. Obviously getting Lindor, keeping Nimmo and swinging Martinez at the last second have paid off for the Mets, but it's the guys that nobody thought twice about that have made this Mets team such a surprise competitor.
Case in point: the Mets' best starting pitcher right now is a guy whose 2023 went so badly that nobody wanted him. Sean Manaea was a reliable starter for the A's, despite some injury-plagued campaigns here and there. The Padres got a decent enough year out of him in 2022, though he wasn't comparable to someone like Yu Darvish or Joe Musgrove. But last year in San Francisco, Manaea struggled in a swing role, going 7-6 with a 4.44 ERA in 37 appearances, only 10 as a starter. Even as a longman Manaea's perks seemed relatively sparse. And so when the Mets signed Manaea for a one year deal, it wasn't initially meant to be much of an endorsement. The rotation was relatively set for 2024, they were going with Kodak Senga, Jose Quintana, Luis Severino, David Peterson and Tylor Megill, with Joey Lucchesi or Jose Butto subbing in if need be. Then Senga gets hurt and Megill does his usual flakey thing, and so Manaea becomes an Opening Day rotation member.
In 23 starts since then, Manaea has been just as good as he was in Oakland, perhaps due to the cutting of his early-2010s locks. Manaea is currently 8-5 with a 3.44 ERA, a team-leading 125 strikeouts and a 2.1 WAR. Even for a rotation lacking in a true anchor [like deGrom, Scherzer or Verlander], Manaea has been a veteran presence with consistency and skill perks. You look at Jose Quintana, and he's still very good, and capable of great starts, but he's 35 and far from his Chicago numbers. Same with Sevvy, clearly he can't strike people out like he used to in the Bronx. But Manaea, despite some down years, has reemerged with all of his best traits as a big-game pitcher intact, and he'll be a major asset to the Mets if they are to pursue a Wild Card spot.
It's not just Manaea whose career has been resurrected in New York. Equally crucial is Jose Iglesias, who sort of petered off after a series of yearlong stints, culminating in a down year in Colorado. I just kind of assumed his career was kinda done, but the Mets gave him a shot and not only has he been hitting .329 with 20 RBIs in 50 games, but his self-penned 'OMG' song has become a fanfare at CitiField upon big wins. First Edwin Diaz's Timmy Trumpet anthem in 2022, now this OMG thing here. The Mets just know how to set trends. I'd also put Harrison Bader into this category, he had a weak year in 2023 and now he's at least hitting .268 with 40 RBIs. And I suppose Luis Torrens is having a comeback year, hitting .277 with 13 RBIs and 3 homers in 29 games. The people you wouldn't expect to be vital pieces of a competitor. And here they are.
The Mets have been looking very good recently, even if logically it's because their schedule has hit an easy period. Like they had no trouble with the A's today, none at all. The Marlins are in town next. It's only when they have to play Baltimore that I think they'll truly be challenged, and hopefully they'll have built enough momentum by that point to make it work. It'd be a very fun outcome if the Mets made it work this way. Not by outspending, but by using the exact opposite tactic. THAT would be hysterical.
Coming Tomorrow- A middle infielder for a team on the razor's edge of a playoff berth.
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