Jun 8, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; New York Mets pitcher Kodai Senga (34) looks on in the dugout in the second inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Kodai Senga receives 'weird' Mets trade prediction

Originally posted on New York Mets on SI | By Grant Young | Last updated Dec 2, 2025 8:00 AM ET

The fate surrounding Kodai Senga's tenure with the New York Mets is uncertain right now.

What's for sure is that Senga was disappointing down the stretch for the Mets in 2025. While the 3.02 ERA and 109 strikeouts in 113.1 innings pitched last season don't look bad on paper, most of Senga's success came in the first few months of the season. He then suffered a hamstring strain in June that kept him sidelined for a month, and when he returned, he wasn't the same guy who had started the season as New York's ace and finished second in 2023 NL Rookie of the Year Award voting.

Senga couldn't pitch late into games and frankly didn't produce quality starts. This reached a point where the Mets demoted him to the minor leagues in early September, where he remained for the rest of the season. This marks two straight down years for Senga, who essentially missed all of 2024 with injuries.

Now, New York has a logjam of starting pitchers with major question marks, which has sparked speculation that Senga could be traded this winter, and would probably be the most likely pitcher to be dealt if David Stearns decides to part ways with one of his pitchers.

Insider Gets Clear on Likeliness of Kodai Senga Trade

On November 30, Will Sammon of The Athletic reported that Senga has informed the Mets that he would prefer to remain with the team rather than get traded this winter. While this is a nice sentiment that might warm the hearts of Mets fans, it isn't going to keep the team from dealing him.

New York Post MLB insider Jon Heyman echoed this sentiment during a December 1 live stream with Bleacher Report by saying, "Senga odds [of getting traded]? I did see that it was reported by The Athletic that he'd prefer to stay with the Mets. I don't think that will weigh; they're gotta do what they need to do, what they want to do, he's obviously being shopped.

"Would be weird for him to come back now, so odds is that — odds mean that whether he's getting traded — I think it's pretty good. I mean, I think it's probably one to two, meaning, two out of three chance that he is getting traded," Heyman continued.

Heyman's assertion that it would be "weird" if Senga returned at this point should tell fans all they need to know about him potentially being dealt in the coming weeks. Now the question becomes where he'll head to, and what the Mets might get in return for him.

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This article first appeared on New York Mets on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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