3) Kodai Senga
Mendoza got blunt about Kodai Senga late in the year.
Carlos Mendoza said the report Kodai Senga's live BP in Florida was "just okay"
— SNY (@SNYtv) September 24, 2025
"He didn't feel like the velo was there, and that's what we saw. He's gonna continue to throw, and then we'll see where we're at" pic.twitter.com/5U0CdBWcGZ
“Just okay” is what you say on a 2-star Amazon review. It’s what your wife says when things are far worse than just okay.
David Stearns didn’t speak glowingly about Senga after the year’s conclusion either. He came across as if Senga was an heirloom he inherited that doesn’t quite fit what he wants from a pitcher.
Understandably so, Senga has been frustrating. It took him forever to recover in 2024 only to get hurt in his first game back. He completely fell apart after returning from the IL this year. The only good thing was his willingness to accept a minor league assignment to try to get right.
Trading Senga is complicated. His contract isn’t bad. His future outlook, on the other hand, isn’t so good. If the Mets are going to lose faith in him, why should another team give up anything of value to try to fix him?
Senga’s time has always been complicated because of the team’s belief he needs the extra day of rest in between starts. Now it’s the performance issues that have him sleeping outside and feeling more on the trade block than we ever imagined.