Kodai Senga Has Meeting With NL Contender

Japanese pitching sensation Kodai Senga has begun his tour of major league suitors, as he attempts to take his 1.94 ERA from the Nippon Professional Baseball league to North America. He sat down with the New York Mets this past week, and it went well, according to Will Sammon in The Athletic. 

Senga, 30, has dominated Japanese baseball for 11 seasons in NPB, with a 2.42 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 10.0 strikeouts per nine innings.

One factor giving the Mets an advantage, Sammon writes, is general manager Billy Eppler's successful history scouting and recruiting Japanese pitchers. He cites Masahiro Tanaka and Shohei Ohtani as two prime examples (Eppler is formerly the GM of the Los Angeles Angels when they signed Ohtani).

The Mets could have three huge holes to fill in their starting rotation with Jacob deGrom, Chris Bassitt and Taijuan Walker all now free agents. Senga should be high on their list of replacements. 

Mets have now met with Senga and it "went well" per @WillSammon.

He's such a good fit for the Mets given that his likely salary (MLBTR predicted 5/75) still allows the Mets to bring back Jacob deGrom and gives them significant upside. https://t.co/BjFk48xb6h

— Michael Mayer (@mikemayer22) November 18, 2022

The meeting was Senga's first time ever in New York City, and it's known that he is interested in coming to a big market, and to a team that is ready to win. Two big checkmarks for the Mets.

Photo: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports