Kodai

Senga

Sammon adds that the Mets might still trade him prior to next season since his contract only includes a limited 10-team no-trade clause. The soon-to-be 33-year-old righty — owed $28 million over the next two years with a club option for 2028 — profiles as an intriguing fallback option for clubs unwilling to meet the astronomical asking prices at the top of the free-agent starter market. Durability has been an issue since his arrival in the majors, with injuries holding him to just 52 starts across the last three seasons, but he’s been highly effective when available, posting a strong 3.00 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 320/133 K/BB ratio over 285 innings during that span. New York still lacks a true front-of-the-rotation stabilizer, but they’re overflowing with depth heading into 2026, with top prospects Nolan McLean, Jonah Tong and Brandon Sproat supplementing veterans Clay Holmes, Sean Manaea and David Peterson. And if the Mets manage to land a certifiable ace via free agency or trade, Senga suddenly becomes far more likely to continue his career elsewhere.

Sammon makes it clear that the Mets have not stated a desire to trade Senga, but they are willing to listen to trade offers for him. The 32-year-old is only owed $28 million over the next two seasons, which is a reasonable amount for a pitcher with his raw stuff, but he has also dealt with injuries and mechanical concerns over the last couple of seasons. That could be a reason for the Mets to move on, but it could also dampen his value on the market. Of note is that “Senga moved from a full no-trade clause to a limited one this winter, in which he can block trades to 10 franchises.” This appears to be a situation to monitor this off-season.

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said Senga was sitting in the 93-mph range and there’s some concern that the Florida heat is leading to some fatigue. It seems highly unlikely New York will summon Senga for any sort of postseason role given how he’s looked in recent throwing sessions.

Senga looked great in his Triple-A start last week, and the Mets have not ruled him out of being on the postseason roster, should they make it. However, the 32-year-old would likely need another really strong start tonight in order to be in consideration.

Senga struck out eight and allowed one run over six innings last week in his Triple-A debut following an early-September demotion. The 32-year-old righty could be an option to rejoin New York’s rotation mix for the final week of the season, especially with Sean Manaea being moved to the bullpen.

Manaea will be available to pitch in relief starting with Sunday’s game against the Rangers. The 33-year-old southpaw has posted a lackluster 5.76 ERA across 50 innings over 11 appearances (10 starts) since making his season debut back in mid-July. New York has been rolling with a six-man rotation for a couple weeks and could considering bringing back Kodai Senga at some point next week to fill the vacancy.

Waiver claim Wander Suero takes his spot on the roster, though he might only be up for two days before Brandon Sproat debuts on Sunday. The Mets needed Senga’s permission to send him down and obviously got it. He still possesses an excellent 3.02 ERA for the season, but in eight second half starts, he had a 6.56 ERA and 22 walks in 35 2/3 innings. Ideally, he’ll get things ironed out and return as a postseason contributor for the Mets.

He’ll presumably be taking Kodai Senga’s spot in the rotation. The 25-year-old Sproat is 8-6 with a 4.24 ERA and a 113/53 K/BB in 121 innings for Triple-A Syracuse, though he’d been much better than that lately; he has a 2.54 ERA and a 70/21 K/BB in 59 innings over his last 11 starts. He’s not a bad roll of the dice in mixed leagues, though a road start in Cincinnati isn’t a great matchup for his first outing.

The move is a bit complicated because Senga “may not be assigned to the minors without his consent, according to his contract.” While the 32-year-old “said Tuesday night that he is willing to do whatever it takes for him to get better and help the team,” that doesn’t mean he would be open to a demotion of this caliber. However, Senga has really struggled of late, posting a 6.56 ERA in his last 35 2/3 innings. In that time, the Mets have seen Jonah Tong and Nolan McLean pitch well enough to warrant rotation spots alongside David Peterson and Sean Manaea, with Tylor Megill, Clay Holmes, and Brandon Sproat also options to fill in if Senga were to accept the demotion.

Senga gave up seven hits, walked two and struck out six. While Senga has a 3.02 ERA on the year, he’s been awful lately with a 6.06 ERA over his last seven starts. His xFIP of 4.33 on the season points to him being somewhere in the middle of these two extremes. Senga is lined up to face the Reds on the road next weekend, though fantasy managers will want to exercise caution with the 32-year-old right-hander.