3 questions the NY Mets need to ask themselves before trading Kodai Senga

Kodai Senga has headlined many of the offseason New York Mets rumors as far as subtraction goes. A poor ending to his 2025 season has opened up the door for the front office to consider sending him elsewhere. Reports of him being viewed as a “buy low” candidate for other teams doesn’t exactly get fans excited as it seems to suggest the return wouldn’t be favorable.

Before striking a deal, the Mets need to ask themselves a few questions.

The Mets need to ask themselves these three questions before signing off on any Kodai Senga trade

1) Is he really done contributing?

The overall season numbers were good and his stellar first half resulted in a 1.39 ERA over 77.2 innings. We saw an ace-like return to the mound to begin the 2025 season. When he returned a month later from the IL, Senga looked like a completely different and inefficient pitcher.

It was a theme for many of the Mets starters. Clay Holmes went from respectable to questionable. David Peterson sailed off the map. The Mets need to ask themselves honestly if the best of Senga has already passed by and be honest about it.

2) Is the return worth pulling the plug?

The words “buy low” don’t give me enthusiasm for the return the Mets would get. Although trading Senga probably wouldn’t yield his replacement, the Mets need to wonder if whomever they do get actually helps make them better.

Trading Senga requires at least one major check box to get crossed off. Salary relief or an upgrade at another position is a must. And if it’s the former, they need to spend the money somewhere else immediately.

3) Are they actually upgrading the rotation with whoever they add to replace him?

Hypothetically, they could trade Senga somewhere and open up a roster spot that could be upgraded in another way. Let’s say, for example, they sign Dylan Cease. Is he about to have a better year than Senga? If you knew, you’d probably make a killing buying lottery tickets.

At $15 million, the Mets will have a tough time adding someone with the upside Senga can provide. Herein lies the problem. If even any of the answers to these other questions slant negative, it spoils any sense of optimism. If they believe he’s not going to approach his elite-at-times abilities, all cases to keep him are moot. If what they get back in return for him doesn’t provide any satisfaction, they mine as well roll the dice.