The Mets have spent a lot of money so far this offseason. There’s been a common theme after news of each move hits the internet, too: they’re not done yet. New York has supplemented its rotation and bullpen, as well as re-installing Brandon Nimmo into center field. Japanese starting pitcher Kodai Senga is still available, and he’s someone the Mets continue to be interested in.
Steve Cohen’s luxury tax penalty keeps increasing with each move general manager Billy Eppler makes, but it’s clear he doesn’t care. What’s most important to this man is winning baseball games and eventually hoisting a World Series trophy.
We’ve seen a trend emerge for New York when it comes to signing starting pitchers, though. Between Max Scherzer, Justin Verlander, and Jose Quintana, none of them has a contract longer than three years. They also didn’t offer one longer than that to Jacob deGrom, who ended up signing with the Texas Rangers for five years and $185 million.
Committing to Senga for five or six years is something New York is reportedly open to doing. The soon-to-be 30-year-old has three main desires for the team he eventually signs with. The Mets fit the bill before their most recent spending spree. Things probably only look better for the Amazins now.
Here’s a rundown of what Senga is looking for:
At the on-set of the off-season, Kodai Senga’s agent said his top 3 priorities (not in order) were:
– Big market ✅
– Immediate contender ✅
– Analytically driven organization ✅And the moves so far this week should only make him feel better about joining the roster
— Joe DeMayo (@PSLToFlushing) December 9, 2022
Check, check, and check, indeed. Throw in the fact that Senga would slot into a rotation with two future Hall of Famers, and it seems like the Mets can provide him with a rare opportunity.
Senga didn’t get posted by an NPL team, so he has no deadline to sign a deal. With strong interest and Carlos Rodon being the last elite starting pitcher on the market, it’s not shocking to think he and his reps will take their time to find the right fit.
But the Mets clearly didn’t want to wait around for him to make a decision. That’s why they’re filling out their roster while still being open to signing Senga because they like what he has to offer. If he does come aboard, it’d give New York a perceived surplus of starting pitching. That’d then be an area they could trade from to fill other needs.
It’ll be fascinating to see what the Mets do next because every time you think they’re going to take a breath, they keep pushing ahead. Based on everything we’ve seen and heard, Eppler will continue heavily pursuing Senga.
That should make the hurler incredibly excited since the Mets can seemingly offer him everything he’s looking for and more.
Matt Musico can be reached at matt.musico@xlmedia.com and you can follow him on Twitter: @mmusico8.
