Mets roster crunch could give Guardians chance to add All-Star caliber arm (so long as the price is right)

Kodai Senga’s rookie season for the New York Mets was the stuff of legend. After putting together a stellar 11-year career in Nippon Professional Baseball, Senga finally came to MLB in 2023 and recorded a 2.98 ERA in 116 1/3 innings with the Mets in the first year of the five-year, $75 million contract with New York. 

But that time in New York could come to an end this offseason thanks to some serious struggles in 2026 that pushed him out of the Mets’ rotation and potentially out of their pitching plans altogether. 

But that doesn’t mean he can’t be a part of the Guardians’ pitching plans. 

Although Senga’s profile may not look the best on paper considering he’s coming off a season where he had a 7.34 ERA in 61 1/3 innings, there’s enough to like under the hood that could potentially make Senga a valuable part of the Guardians’ pitching staff. 

And it seems like he’s available, as The Athletic’s Will Sammon, Ken Rosenthal and Katie Woo reported earlier today that Senga is attracting trade interest from multiple teams. That could put him squarely in the Guardians’ wheelhouse. 

Kodai Senga would make sense on the Guardians' pitching staff

Before we get too far, it’s time to point out that the only way Senga would end up with the Guardians is if the Mets eat some of his $14 million salary. That contract looked like a discount at the start of Senga’s career when he had that fantastic career, but it’s looked more and more like an anchor as his struggles have grown. 

Senga made just one start in the regular season in 2024 due to a moderate posterior capsule strain that was followed by a high calf strain, and he struggled in three appearances in that postseason. 

He mostly pitched better in 2025 (3.02 ERA in 113 1/3 innings), but he recorded a 6.56 ERA in his final eight appearances of the season before being sent down to Triple-A.

Part of the reason why the Mets decided to send Senga down to Triple-A stemmed from their preference to keep Senga on his schedule as a starter, but those plans went on the window in 2026 when the Mets moved him to the bullpen at the start of August after he started the season with an 8.66 ERA in 13 games.

He debuted with a scoreless inning against the Guardians, and ended up finishing the year with a 3.78 ERA in 16 2/3 innings out of the bullpen with eight saves. Senga would prefer to work as a starter for the rest of his career, but the Guardians could push that issue by trading for him and deciding whether to use him as a starter or a reliever (especially since they have a vacancy in both). 

Senga would make the most sense as an arm in the Guardians’ rotation, but his experience working in the bullpen serves as a good insurance should he flame out as a starting pitcher. It may not be the way the Guardians normally build out their rotation, but it’s an opportunity that has fallen into their lap. Now is the time to strike for it. 

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