Mets starting rotation revealed, with $75 million Sean Manaea to bullpen
With a healthy starting rotation, the Mets made a decision to not roll with a six-man rotation to begin 2026, leaving one pitcher as the odd man out.
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — Despite a healthy pitching staff, the Mets will not open the season with a six-man rotation, Carlos Mendoza revealed on the penultimate day of Grapefruit League action on Saturday.
In the midst of a rocky spring, Sean Manaea will move to the bullpen in a piggyback role to begin the season. Mendoza offered his pitching plans to begin the season on Saturday, with Freddy Peralta tabbed for Opening Day and David Peterson and Nolan McLean to follow suit for the first three games of the season against the Pirates. Clay Holmes and Kodai Senga, in that order, will take the next two games against the Cardinals in St.
Louis. "We were pretty honest with all of them at the beginning of camp, if everyone was healthy, we were going to have to make some tough decisions and one of them was going to be pitching in that type of role," Mendoza said. "The way we see it is (Manaea'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. " Manaea has allowed four earned runs on seven hits and two walks across 9⅔ innings with nine strikeouts. The 34-year-old, who is in the second year of a three-year, $75 million deal, has seen his velocity linger in the high-80s throughout spring training.