Kodai Senga predicted to land with familiar NY Mets trade partner

Bleacher Report put together a prediction of every team’s starting rotation for the 2026 season. After scanning through to see the New York Mets acquire Freddy Peralta via trade and Tatsuya Imai in free agency, the big question is what happens to Kodai Senga.

A trade candidate being discussed in plenty of Mets rumors, Senga lands on a familiar trade partner for David Stearns. Slotted in as the number five starter for the Tampa Bay Rays, the pitch is for AL East club to buy low on Senga.

Makes sense. But what do they offer the Mets? A surplus of outfielders on the Rays roster and an apparent need for an outfielder is the sales pitch.

Is there a Kodai Senga to the Rays trade that could make sense for the Mets?

The Rays non-tendered closer Peter Fairbanks but it could be all to make a different move. Senga’s $15 million contract fits into the higher end of what they tend to pay players. If he’s anything like he was in 2023 or the first-half of 2025, it’s one of the biggest bargains in baseball.

The Rays are no strangers to trying to fix players. They’ve been successful plenty of times. With their openness to just about anything, Senga does feel like a fit there.

Over in New York, we’re wondering exactly which surplus outfielder would actually be worth giving up Senga for. Chandler Simpson is by far the most interesting. But as a light-hitting, speedy outfielder, it seems like the Mets can get the same result out of prospect Nick Morabito in the near future. Jake Mangum had a strong rookie season. Would they really trade Senga away from him and a little more?

Perhaps a depth outfielder plus a reliever could work. Griffin Jax, who the Rays acquired at the trade deadline, is someone the Mets were interested in. He’ll make a few million this coming year which kind of goes against the way the Rays tend to project their payroll.

Jax and Kameron Misner would have been an interesting trade if the latter hadn’t already been dealt to the Kansas City Royals. Would a Jax for Senga swap alone suffice with the Mets adding in some money? The Mets add a high-leverage right-handed reliever they wanted at last year’s trade deadline. The Rays get another starter at a bargain. Let’s say the Mets chip in $5 million. More importantly for the Mets, they clear up roster space and not just one. There is no six-man rotation for the Mets needed on a regular basis.

There probably isn’t any Senga trade that will fully satisfy fans. This one might be kind of close.