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JON VANKIN is a journalist and writer. He is the author of five nonfiction books and nine graphic novels. His writing has appeared in The New York Times Magazine, Salon, the L.A. Weekly and dozens of other publications and he has received numerous awards and honors including three New England Press Association awards. In connection with his work, Vankin has made numerous media appearances on such networks as CNN, CNBC, FOX, the BBC and the CBC as well as hundreds of radio stations and podcasts. Vankin in his wide-ranging career has also served as an editor of comic books and newspapers. He is the editor of the NEW YORK TIMES #1 BESTSELLING graphic novel GET JIRO! by the late, great Anthony Bourdain. He co-wrote the hit Off Broadway musical FOREVER DUSTY, and served as a sportswriter and editor at The Daily Yomiuri, the English-language edition of Japan's largest newspaper, the Yomiuri Shimbun, in Tokyo.
Contributing Sports Writer
After signing a history-making, 15-year, $765 million contract this offseason, the newest member of the New York Mets, Juan Soto, responded by blasting a 426-foot home run in his first spring training at-bat as a Met on Saturday. The Mets also signed re-signed slugging first baseman Pete Alonso to a two-year, $54 million pact just before spring training opened.
So the Mets' offense, ranked a respectable fifth in the National League last year with 4.74 runs per game, should be even better in 2025. But with their hitting seemingly squared away, the Flushing Meadows club now faces another, equally crucial question.
Who's going to pitch?
After losing $34 million free agent signing Frankie Montas for at least six weeks with a high-grade lat strain, the Mets on Monday announced that their rotation has suffered another setback. Sean Manaea, who re-signed with the Mets on a three-year, $75 million deal, will miss Opening Day and an indefinite period beyond with what the team said was an oblique muscle strain, according to a report by the New York Post.
The average recovery time for a pitcher with Manaea's specific injury is reportedly 48 days. That would put Manaea on track to return sometime during the third week in April. Mets manager Carlos Mendoza appeared to confirm that expectation, telling the Post that the team was targeting a mid-to-late-April comeback for Manaea, who will not resume throwing at all for at least "a couple of weeks," Mendoza said. But no actual return date was set for the righty.
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In 2024, his first season with the Mets, the 33-year-old Manaea handled 181 2/3 innings, just one-third of an inning less than team leader Luis Severino. But Severino departed to sign a free agent contract with the team formerly known as the Oakland Athletics (now simply the Athletics, as they will play games in West Sacramento, California, on a temporary basis).
That means the Mets were counting on Manaea to take one the biggest workload in the starting rotation. Below him, new addition Clay Holmes enters the Mets rotation without having started a game since 2018 and never pitching more than 70 innings in a season. But the Mets are now trusting Holmes to hold down the middle of the starting rotation.
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After Holmes, the Mets will look to 32-year-old righty Kodai Senga, who has suffered repeated injuries since signing with the Mets in 2023 after 11 seasons with the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks in his native Japan. Senga made only one start for the Mets in 2024.
Manaea not only gave the Mets innings in 2024, he gave them quality innings. His 3.74 ERA was second on the starting staff to David Peterson who made just 21 starts, 11 fewer than Manaea, with an ERA of 2.90.
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