NY Mets are strangely set up well to keep, not trade, Kodai Senga in 2026

Kodai Senga went from fan-favorite to questionable member of the New York Mets roster. His inability to stay healthy has turned him into a frustrating player. He could’ve been a difference-maker in each of the last two seasons, in 2024 for a playoff run and in 2025 if he didn’t suddenly implode after returning from his IL stint.

Cy Young-worthy when he’s on and much less so when he’s not, the odd thing about his placement with the Mets right now is how well-equipped they are to handle some of his misgivings.

When it comes to Senga, you need to have rotation depth. His need, not that it has ever been declared as a demand of his own, for the added day of rest often has the Mets shuffling their rotation around. A spot start here and there has resulted in a couple of rough Mets outings along the way. Quality depth isn’t always easy. One injury can push your best spot starter into a regular role in the rotation. At the moment, the Mets have the parts.

The Mets are at a point where they can better manage an occasional six-man rotation around Kodai Senga

None of this is to say the Mets rotation is set. Not even close. They do need to improve it and even if Senga ends up traded away, there’s no reason to cry about it. But if he stays, we might want to reconsider the outlook of this ball club and see some of the positives.

Let’s say the Mets go simple. They subtract David Peterson while managing to add any starting pitcher of your choosing that’s realistic. Freddy Peralta is always a good name because he isn’t quite Tarik Skubal nor is he Nick Pivetta. Peralta is ace-quality and won’t bum anyone out to see on the Mets roster. The key with a trade for Peralta is to not give up Brandon Sproat or Jonah Tong. This isn’t impossible with all of the other prospects the Mets have, including several pitchers who could have their true breakout season in 2026.

Sproat feels like the first in line to get that spot start or fill in the rotation in case of an injury. Tong’s struggles in the majors should have him building up his Triple-A resume. I can’t imagine a world in which he actually begins the year on the Mets roster.

The team has additional depth with Cooper Criswell currently on their 26-man roster. He has started in the past. He’d be a decent arm to ask to give you 3-4 innings either as a starter or working behind an opener. The Mets seemed to prefer the latter strategy last season.

Not convinced yet? We also have Brandon Waddell, no longer on the 40-man roster but present, as someone who can make a start. 36-year-old Robert Stock is someone the Mets signed for just this purpose while maybe hoping to strike some gold along the way, too. Justin Hagenman and Jonathan Pintaro shouldn’t get anyone too excited. However, each is an option.

The biggest trouble for the Mets to ever solve is finding the roster space. Their bullpen isn’t shaping up to have a whole lot of optional relievers, making it more difficult to pass an arm up to the major leagues. Ideally, they might even want a pair.

Identical 2.86 ERAs on 5 and 6+ days of rest versus 5.09 in his four starts on regular 4 days of rest in MLB, there’s no suggestion Senga should fall in line with the traditional five-man rotation and be any good.