Manaea signs two-year deal with Giants
Maria Guardado
@mi_guardadoSAN FRANCISCO -- The Giants filled out their starting rotation by finalizing a two-year, $25 million deal with left-hander Sean Manaea on Friday.
Manaea will make $7.5 million in 2023 and $12.5 million in '24. He will receive a $5 million signing bonus. Manaea will also make an annual donation of $62,500 to the Giants Community Fund in both '23 and '24. The deal also includes an opt-out clause after the '23 season (identical to the deal offered to fellow newcomer Ross Stripling).
The move brings Manaea back to the Bay Area, where he spent the first six seasons of his career with the A＊s. Manaea joins a talented Giants rotation that already features Logan Webb, Alex Cobb, Anthony DeSclafani and Alex Wood. With Manaea in the fold, Jakob Junis is likely to shift to a swingman role, helping to enhance San Francisco＊s overall pitching depth.
Manaea＊s arrival dampened the likelihood of a reunion with All-Star left-hander Carlos Rod車n, who reportedly agreed to a six-year deal with the Yankees on Thursday. Rod車n was reportedly seeking a seven-year deal, but the Giants have generally preferred to add free-agent pitchers on shorter-term contracts.
Manaea did not enter free agency on a high note, posting a 6.07 ERA over his final 19 games (17 starts) of the regular season. He then made only one appearance during the Padres＊ playoff run, taking the loss in Game 4 of the NL Championship Series at Philadelphia after coming out of the bullpen to allow five earned runs in 1 1/3 innings.
Still, the Giants have emerged as an attractive destination for pitchers who are looking to rebuild their value in recent years. Drew Pomeranz, Drew Smyly, Kevin Gausman and Rod車n are among the veteran hurlers who reached new heights while working with the Giants coaching staff, which includes pitching coaches Andrew Bailey and J.P. Martinez and director of pitching Brian Bannister.
Despite his recent struggles with the Padres, the 6-foot-5 Manaea has a history as a solid Major League starter. Manaea, who turns 31 on Feb. 1, enjoyed arguably his best season for the A＊s in 2021. He made 32 starts and racked up 179 1/3 innings with a 3.91 ERA (105 ERA+) and 194 strikeouts, good for 3.1 wins above replacement (WAR), per Baseball-Reference.
Other than 2019, when he missed all but five starts while recovering from left shoulder surgery, Manaea has been relatively durable. Going back to his 2016 debut, he＊s made at least 24 starts and logged at least 144 innings in five of six full seasons (not counting the shortened 2020 campaign). His career ERA+ of 100 rates as exactly MLB average.
The Royals originally selected Manaea 34th overall in the 2013 Draft out of Indiana State but dealt him to the A＊s at the 2015 Trade Deadline as part of a move for Ben Zobrist. Manaea then spent his first six big league seasons in Oakland -- highlights included a 2018 no-hitter -- before San Diego acquired him shortly before last Opening Day.