NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JUNE 12: Kodai Senga #34 of the New York Mets looks on before the game from the dugout at Citi Field on June 12, 2024 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
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After a disappointing season for the New York Mets, the team seems likely to make talent additions, not subtractions.
But former All-Star Kodai Senga might be due for a change of scenery, even as the Mets look to increase the level of talent on their roster.
“Senga is attracting trade interest from multiple teams, league sources said,” per The Athletic’s Will Sammon. “Some clubs view Senga, 32, as an interesting buy-low candidate after he experienced an injury and ended the season in Triple-A due to poor performance.”
Despite a harsh season, it’s easy to understand why competing clubs would have interest in acquiring Senga. He was a Cy Young Award and Rookie of the Year Award candidate just two years ago in an All-Star campaign that saw him make 29 starts and maintain a 2.98 ERA. And if he can return to that level, his five-year, $75 million contract would be a bargain.
But his struggles from this past season seemed to result from a scary combination of injury and mechanical issues and it’s hard to say what his next season might look like. But as the Mets evaluate potential trade returns for dealing him away, Senga has reportedly decided to make a significant change to his contract that might facilitate a move.
“Also, Senga moved from a full no-trade clause to a limited one this winter, in which he can block trades to 10 franchises,” Sammon reported.
It’s not immediately clear why Senga cleared the way to a trade with at least 20 other teams, though it could make the Mets negotiations around him a bit easier. And while the team seems set to add starting pitching this winter, it might have enough talent already in place to move on from Senga.
“The Mets no longer appear fully committed to him — not with Nolan McLean, Brandon Sproat, Jonah Tong, Sean Manaea, Clay Holmes and David Peterson all under contract, and the club potentially set up to add more help this winter,” Anthony DiComo wrote for MLB.com. “For now, the reality is that the Mets can no longer count on Senga without reservation.”
If another team is more willing to count on Senga as a contributing piece for the rotation, the Mets might feel like it’s in everyone’s best interest to move on. And after the pitcher made a change to his contract that would seemingly facilitate a trade out of Queens, perhaps he is thinking the same.