Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Despite signing star ace Justin Verlander to a two-year, $86 million contract earlier on Monday, the New York Mets are still expressing interest in free agent starter Kodai Senga.
Per Jon Morosi of the MLB Network, the Mets aren’t content with signing one of the best pitchers available this winter and a surefire future Hall of Famer in Verlander. Instead, the front office are still chasing reinforcements for the rotation and Senga is a player they are very much still interested in.
Senga entered this offseason as one of the most intriguing free agents available having filed for international free agency. The 29-year-old spent the last 11 years pitching in Japan for the NPB, where he owns a stellar career 2.42 ERA with a 104-51 record. He has spent his entire career with the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks.
Senga’s resume is impressive. He threw the 91st regular season no-hitter in NPB history during the 2019 season, and he won the Triple Crown during the 2020 season after posting an 11-6 record with a 2.16 ERA and 49 strikeouts. Furthermore, the lefty won a Gold Medal with Japan during the 2020 Summer Olympics, and he has also appeared in three NPB All-Star Games as well as winning five Japan Series Championships.
In addition to a load of hardware, Senga is impressive to watch on the mound thanks to his filthy fastball which sits in the mid-high 90’s. He also throws a very effective pitch referred to as a “Ghost Fork,” which looks a bit like a splitter. There is some concern over Senga’s control but, given his filthy stuff and his velocity, he could project to be a very good middle-of-the-rotation starter for teams looking to make an impact deep in October.
Senga is attracting a lot of attention this offseason given that he posted a 1.94 ERA across 144 innings pitched in 2022. He struck out 159 batters and finished with a 11-6 record. According to multiple reports, the Red Sox, the Rangers, the Giants, the Dodgers, the Angels and the Blue Jays are just some of the teams interested in the Japanese star.
Despite signing Verlander to a big ticket deal earlier on Monday, the Mets are still making their rotation a huge priority. Multiple reports state that they are seeking a middle-of-the-rotation starter with Chris Bassitt and Taijuan Walker having also hit the open market this offseason. Senga could prove to be a nice piece in the rotation after Verlander and Max Scherzer, and his immediate future will likely dominate the next few days at the MLB Winter Meetings in San Diego.
