The SF Giants have lost one potential starting pitcher. Veteran left-handed pitcher Sean Manaea will opt-out of his two-year, $25 million contract with the Giants, choosing to become a free agent. Despite an up-and-down season, Manaea was arguably San Francisco's best free-agent signing last offseason and finished the season strong enough to give him a chance to receive an even better contract this offseason.
Manaea started and finished the season in San Francisco's starting rotation, flashing noticeably improved velocity. However, he also struggled to maintain increased velocity throughout his starts, and dealt with inconsistency. He finished the season with a 4.44 ERA (4.18 xERA, 3.90 FIP, 4.01 xFIP), 128 strikeouts, and 42 walks in 117.2 innings pitched (37 appearances).
Even with his flashes, it has been a while since Manaea put together a great all-around season. In 2022, Manaea recorded a career-worst 4.96 ERA in 158 innings pitched with 156 strikeouts and 50 walks. ERA estimators did seem to suggest that Manaea suffered from some bad luck, though. His xERA (4.06), FIP (4.53), and xFIP (3.96) were all notably lower than his ERA. Over his career, Manaea has a 4.10 ERA (4.05 FIP and 4.04 xFIP) in 1002.2 innings pitched.
Manaea's decision to opt out does make the Giants rotation need even larger than it already was. While ace Logan Webb will be back in 2024, Alex Cobb's recent hip injury leaves the Giants with no other proven starting pitchers coming off productive seasons. While veterans like Webb, Cobb, Anthony DeSclafani, and Ross Stripling combined with prospects like Kyle Harrison, Keaton Winn, and Tristan Beck give San Francisco a good deal of starting pitching depth, there is a clear lack of top-end talent.
While it's possible that Sean Manaea could re-sign with the SF Giants, it seems hard to envision him returning to the Orange and Black in 2024. Manaea will likely be a higher priority free-agent target for a team looking to solidify the middle or back of its rotation. The Giants, on the other hand, seem to be in a position to aim for premium talents.
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