3 players added this offseason we should be more bullish on in 2023

3) NY Mets pitcher Kodai Senga could be the rotation difference-maker

Close your eyes. Spin the chair. Throw the dart. Wherever it lands could be what Kodai Senga does in 2023. Coming over from an overseas league is hard to predict. The adjustments to the baseballs, the mound, and even the culture can be difficult for even the hardiest of athletes.

If Senga was a stock, he’d be a start-up with a lot of promise. It’s not outrageous to believe he has a high ceiling. Categorized by most as a second-tier free agent this offseason, the Mets are counting on him to give them number three starter innings.

Senga is someone who could come along slowly due to those changes he’ll experience early on. Even if it takes him a month before he’s able to consistently go beyond 5 innings, he could be worth the wait. 

I’m bullish on Senga because he doesn’t need to be “the guy.” Behind Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander, Senga can have time to figure things out. In fact, what’s so awful about him being their fifth-best starting pitcher if Jose Quintana and Carlos Carrasco do well? He's not coming over as a kid either. Senga is at the point where he should be in the prime of his career. I'm buying in.

Narvaez and Pham won’t be in Queens for long. Senga’s stay will last a couple of seasons. And even if year one isn’t as terrific as we’d like it to be, I’m going to hold onto this mutual fund.