Is It Time for the Mets to Move On From Sean Manaea?

The New York Mets have to make a tough decision on Sean Manaea in the coming weeks.

May 6, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; New York Mets relief pitcher Sean Manaea (59) delivers a pitch in the ninth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Sean Manaea’s time with the New York Mets could be coming to an end.

Amid the Mets’ small turnaround in May, one major issue continues to plague the team: bullpen imbalance. The Mets currently carry three pitchers with nearly identical roles. Manaea, David Peterson, and Tobias Myers all work as multi-inning relievers.

The Mets use them for extended outings, then rest them for several days. Carrying three long men has created several problems. When one of them struggles and exits early, the Mets often lack reliable relief behind him.

Last night, after Freddy Peralta exited following five innings, Tobias Myers failed to escape the sixth. That forced the Mets to turn to trusted relievers Brooks Raley and Luke Weaver.

After extending their lead to six runs in the ninth, the Mets handed the final three outs to Sean Manaea. He struggled immensely, recording just one out while allowing three hits and a run. The outing forced Devin Williams into the game.

That leaves the Mets short-handed for today’s series finale. They will be without both Manaea and Myers, while Peterson should also be unavailable after pitching Monday. Raley will likely be down as well after throwing 1.1 innings.

Why It’s Inevitable the Mets Move On From Sean Manaea

Sean Manaea this season:

8 G
22.1 IP
6.85 ERA
24 K

Is the end of the line for his Mets tenure looming? pic.twitter.com/KWZNK3JZ0O

— MetsMuse (@MetsMuse) May 7, 2026

After his latest appearance, Manaea now owns a 6.85 ERA across 22.1 innings. He also carries a 1.75 WHIP and a -0.6 bWAR.

According to Baseball Savant, the left-hander owns a -3 Pitching Run Value, which ranks in the bottom 22nd percentile in baseball.

Manaea’s struggles have become impossible to ignore for a Mets team trying to salvage its season. At the same time, Kodai Senga is nearing a return from injury, while Jonah Tong and Jack Wenninger continue to thrive in Triple-A Syracuse. All of it could quickly push Manaea out of the Mets’ plans.

After a rough start to the season, Tong has started to find his rhythm. Over his last three outings, he has pitched 15.1 innings, allowed four earned runs, and struck out 21.

Meanwhile, Wenninger has been brilliant all season. After delivering six more scoreless innings last night, he now owns a 1.27 ERA across 28.1 innings with 31 strikeouts. Both pitchers figure to make an impact on the big league roster at some point this season.

Jack Wenninger is quickly blossoming into one of the top hurlers in the Minors.

The @Mets' No. 6 prospect lowered his ERA to a Triple-A-best 1.27 for the @SyracuseMets: https://t.co/amKvTjMQMR pic.twitter.com/h3AwEZYEal

— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) May 7, 2026

The problem for the Mets is they still owe Manaea $25 million in 2027. David Stearns and company may not want to cut their losses so soon after handing him such a lucrative contract last offseason.

However, the Mets still have high aspirations for this season and hope to turn things around. They cannot afford to waste much more time. Manaea’s leash is only getting shorter, so making a decision on his future feels increasingly likely.

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