The New York Mets, with the 2026 season beginning on March 26 , needed to make a few moves to craft their rotation. Will Sammon from The Athletic reports that the team will move lefthander Sean Manaea to the bullpen to start the season. Sammon reports that Manaea was not a fan of the decision.
“Sean Manaea sees himself as a starting pitcher. So it was frustrating for him, he said, that the New York Mets announced Saturday to leave him off their Opening Day rotation. Once viewed as the team’s best pitcher back in the second half of 2024, Manaea is set to begin this season in the bullpen in a piggyback role.”
In other words, Manaea will operate in a swing role while the team’s top five pitchers take a complete revolution of the rotation. Manaea currently sits in the middle of his three-year, $75 million deal, making him the Mets’ highest-paid starting pitcher. Now, he will enter games through the outfield fence and not the dugout. While other alternatives could be available, manager Carlos Mendoza chose the bullpen route.
“The way we see it is he’s taking that turn right now and probably two times through the rotation because of the schedule and the off days — we don’t feel like we need a sixth starter yet, and he’s going to make starts for us.”
GettyMets pitcher Sean Manaea leaves the mound after a September 21, 2025 game agiainst teh Washington Nationals.
Early 2026 Schedule Prevents Six-Man Rotation
The April schedule does not lend itself to a sixth-starter rotation. Mendoza wants Manaea out of the pen. In reality, that could work, especially if the Mets do not want to tax their relievers too much to start the season.
Additionally, the hope is that the starters could go a little deeper into games. As a result, they would turn the game over to two setup men and a closer to end games if the team was ahead. The Mets start on March 28, then after a Friday off day, they will play 19 games in the next 21 days.
GettyMets pitcher Sean Manaea leaves the mound during an August 26, 2025 game against the Philadelphia Phillies.
Dip in Manaea Velocity Opened Bullpen Door
Sammon details a drop in velocity. According to Baseball Savant, the veteran’s four-seam fastball hovered between 91.7 to 92.2 miles per hour. This spring, the southpaw hovers around 89 miles per hour. With a loss in velocity, pitches that looked difficult to hit allow the batter to time them better. While Manaea doesn’t rely on the fastball to generate the majority of his outs, the pitch provided between 27 to 28.4% of his strikeouts over the past two seasons.
“I consider myself a starter. To not be that is frustrating. But at the end of the day, I’m going to let my pitching do the work in whatever capacity that is and go from there.”
– Sean Manaea pic.twitter.com/kZ6OwlK1HJ
— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) March 21, 2026
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Manaea Struggles Could Provide a Warning for Staff
The Mets’ veteran did not see a major league field until July 13 last season. In those 12 starts, his record was 2-4 with a 5.69 earned run average. Plus, he surrendered 13 home runs in 60.2 innings pitched. Despite sporting a lucrative contract, the Mets display no reticence in pushing Manaea to the pen.
With that, other players could soon join the fray for starters. Christian Scott and rookie Jonah Tong will vie for innings if any current starter fails. Also, the demotion could send a strong message to the veteran rotation. If the Mets are willing to kick a starter to the bullpen, other starters may also need to be on notice.
GettyMets lefthander Sean Manaea throws a pitch against the Miami Marlins during a September 28, 2025 game.
Mets Manager Puts Rotation On Notice With ‘Frustrating’ Decision