Steve Cohen is determined to turn the New York Mets into a juggernaut. And he will spend anything it takes to make that happen.
That next step happened on Saturday night. According to Jeff Passan, the Mets signed Kodai Senga to a five year deal worth $75 million as they continue to completely revamp their starting rotation.
New York Mets add yet another piece to rotation in Kodai Senga
Senga is just another addition as Cohen says to hell with the luxury tax. Since Jacob deGrom signed in Texas, the Mets have spent approximately $360 million on Senga, Justin Verlander, Jose Quintana, Brandon Nimmo, and David Robertson. He has been determined to not just build a team that can make the postseason, but can be a force to be reckoned with for the foreseeable future.
If Senga can replicate his performance in Nippon Professional Baseball, the Mets could have the best third starter in baseball. He posted a stellar 1.94 ERA and a 1.056 WHiP in his 144 innings, striking out 156 batters with just 49 walks. It is not a surprise that Senga attracted plenty of attention from contending teams around the majors.
That does not mean that he is without risk. Senga has a mid 90s fastball and an excellent forkball, but his other secondary offerings lag behind. He has been able to get those pitches to play up with his excellent command, but that does not mean that his success in Japan will translate to the majors.
Nonetheless, this is a risk that the Mets had to take. He is not going to have nearly the same sort of pressure as he will slot behind Verlander and Max Scherzer in the rotation, giving him the ability to adjust to the majors. As Senga said he wanted to pitch in a major market for a team geared towards winning now, he will get his wish.
The New York Mets had added yet another piece to their roster. Kodai Senga is heading to town to strengthen what could be a formidable rotation.