The Kansas City Royals' starting pitching is already a strength. Could they turn it into a deadly weapon in 2025?

With Seth Lugo and Cole Ragans at the top of the rotation, the Royals ranked in the top five of major starting pitching categories in 2025. This not only masked a mediocre all-around offense, but also made the Royals a threat. They were well ahead in the American League playoffs, but ultimately fell in the Division Series.

Strengthening the offense might be the Royals' more pressing need, but the team is also on track to lose productive starter Michael Wacha to an opt-out this winter. Perhaps the best way to become a World Series contender is to replace Wacha with another veteran who had a breakthrough season in the National League.

New York Mets star Sean Manaea is poised to hit free agency after opting out of the second year of his latest contract. After helping the Mets to a deeper playoff run than anyone expected, FanSided's Zach Pressnell predicted that Manaea “won't be back in New York” in 2025.

“With such a successful season, Manaea probably played itself right out of the Big Apple,” Pressnell said. “(Agent Scott) Boras will not be interested in giving discounts to stay with the Mets. With New York pursuing Alonso and Soto, among others, I would imagine Manaea will be wearing a new jersey in 2025.”

The 32-year-old Manaea went 12-6 with a 3.47 ERA in the regular season and was a huge success for the Mets in the playoffs. Allowing five earned runs in two innings on Sunday revitalized his playoff ERA, but he picked up two huge wins for the Mets in the NLDS and NLCS, including a pitch in the eighth inning of his start against the Philadelphia Phillies.

Midway through the season, Manaea changed his delivery to mimic the lateral movement of prohibitive NL Cy Young favorite Chris Sale. The change worked wonders as Manaea's stats improved significantly over the course of the season, and that will likely earn him an even bigger contract given his newfound potential.

Maybe it won't be cheap for the Royals to sign Manaea, but Kansas City learned last winter that investing in starting pitching is the quickest way to make money. If Manaea becomes the third ace in the Royals rotation, Kansas City could be an early favorite for the AL pennant in 2025.

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