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In 2023, Japanese ace Kodai Senga arrived in Queens, raising expectations for a New York Mets team that had accrued 101 wins on a sub-par pitching performance (4.03 team ERA in 2022). In his rookie year, Senga delivered, posting a 2.98 ERA with 202 strikeouts in 166.1 innings. His “ghost fork” splitter proved to be a one of the game’s most devastating weapons. Now, Senga is proving to be a problem for the Mets.
Senga’s career ERA stands at 3.00, a number any team would gladly pay for in a starter. However, durability issues have thrusted Senga into offseason trade rumors. In 2024, injuries limited him to just one game, throwing 5.1 innings. In 2025, Senga started in ace form before suffering a hamstring strain when catching a high throw while covering first base on June 12. Senga would return on July 11, but his velocity dipped and his performance suffered greatly.
Prior to the All-Star break, Senga threw to a spectacular 1.39 ERA. After the break, Senga posted a 6.56 ERA, raising it to 3.02 on the season. Senga was sent down to the minors to work on his stuff after a bad outing on Aug. 31, but never returned.
With the Mets looking to bolster their flailing pitching staff, it might not be too unrealistic to assume that Senga has thrown his last pitch in blue and orange. But should they decide to shop him, there is one team across New York City that should make an offer.
What if the Yankees made Kodai Senga a reliever?
The New York Yankees aren’t in the market for a starting pitcher. However, Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodon and Clarke Schmidt will all miss Opening Day while recovering from surgery. This leaves the starting rotation with Max Fried, Luis Gil, Will Warren and Cam Schlittler along with top prospects Carlos Lagrange and Elmer-Rodriguez Cruz. If the Yankees added Senga, he could fill in for the injured Yankee trio before being converted into a reliever.
A move to the bullpen may help preserve Senga in the face of his durability issues. Senga has never pitched more than 166.1 innings in a season, but when healthy, he is almost unhittable. If needed, he can be a hybrid starter/reliever.
The Yankees had significant bullpen problems this past year, posting a 4.37 ERA in the regular season and a 6.15 ERA in the postseason. The Bombers also have no shortage of holes to fill, with Jonathan Loaisiga, Luke Weaver, Paul Blackburn, Devin Williams and Ryan Yarbrough wading into free agency. This experiment would be similar to the move the Los Angeles Dodgers made with Roki Sasaki, who found success as a closer.
If the Mets are willing to shop Senga after another lost year, any team willing to make an offer might acquire a true diamond in the rough. For the Yankees, adding Senga’s splitter to their shallow bullpen could be the move of the offseason.
