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Mets pitch Kodai Senga will make his first start for Triple-A Syracuse on Friday.

As the GM meetings in Las Vegas continue, MLB’s hot stove is heating up. The free agency period has opened up, and while no real moves have been made, that hasn’t stopped the rumors from pouring in.

A recent report by Will Sammon for The Athletic suggests that the New York Mets are garnering some trade buzz for starter Kodai Senga. While the Mets say they aren’t specifically shopping Senga, the report says a few teams have asked about the right-hander.

Why Would the Mets Shop Kodai Senga?

At the forefront, a lay MLB fan may wonder why the Mets would shop such a promising arm, just two years removed from a strong rookie campaign.

But the truth is, Senga made just one start in 2024 and was then sidelined again for parts of 2025 with a shoulder injury. When the Mets signed Senga out of Japan, his contract included a full no-trade clause, but now that three seasons have passed, that clause has shrunk to just 10 teams.

In 52 career starts, Senga has a 3.00 ERA and 320 strikeouts. In 2023, he was named an All-Star. His K/9 was 10.9 that season, and that number decreased to 8.7 in 2025. His WHIP also increased to 1.315 this season.

Here’s what MLBTradeRumors.com had to say about the report:

“That superlative production never appeared fully sustainable. Senga’s 23.9% strikeout rate was good but not great, and his 10.6% walk rate was nearly two percentage points higher than average. His .251 average on balls in play and 88% strand rate both seemed ripe for regression.”

Kodai Senga’s Contract Situation & Time with the Mets

In Kodai Senga’s first season in MLB back in 2023, he finished second in National League Rookie of the Year voting. He posted a 2.98 ERA in 29 starts and 166 innings.

He had a strong 2025 season as well, but he did not pitch in September, where New York desperately needed starting pitching. Through July, his ERA was a stellar 2.00, but Senga gave up 19 earned runs in August, and then the shoulder injury popped up.

The Mets owe Senga $14 million/year over the next two years. New York is over the luxury tax threshold, which means they are paying a bit more. Kodai Senga is 32, and if the injury troubles scare New York, moving him now seems the most optimal before they have to worry about free agency or a decline in production in the coming years.

As for the teams that have asked about Kodai Senga, that remains unclear, but the Mets are expected to be as active as anyone this offseason, which may mean making big splashes in the trade market.