ESPN’s Jeff Passan had reported this in November that Senga was “very available” in trade negotiations. Despite that report, there were few if any rumors that another team was interested in his services. Senga, for his part, was clear that he preferred that stick with the Mets move forward.
Senga might get his wish. President of Baseball Operations David Stearns said a sit down chat with team reporter Andy Martino expecting Senga to be in the rotation in 2026.
Kodai Senga biggest wild card for New York Mets in 2026
Senga entered the Major League scene in 2023. He was dominant in his 166.1 innings, posting a 2.98 ERA and a 1.220 WHiP while striking out 202 batters with 77 walks. Senga was named to the All-Star Game, finished second in the NL Rookie of the Year voting and received Cy Young votes.
After only one appearance in 2024 due to injury, Senga picked up where he left off in early 2025. He had an ERA of 1.47 and a WHiP of 1.113 left his first 73.2 inningsin which he struck out 70 batters with 31 walks. Everything fell apart after Senga missed time with a strained calf as he was unable to get back into shape. He posted a 5.90 ERA and a 1.689 WHiP over his final 39.2 innings, walking 24 and striking out 39. That performance led to Senga being demoted to Triple-A for the remainder of the season.
Stearns said Senga is back to full health and should be ready to go for spring training. If so, he could give the Mets another top starter to pair with newly acquired ace Freddy Peralta. It may be a matter of keeping Senga healthy, something that may be easier said than done.
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