If you were having a pool on the most untradeable Met, Kodai Senga very well could be the frontrunner considering the dastardly duo of bad health and performance that has plagued him.
Yet, the Padres actually have checked in on Senga, a player they pursued as a free agent after the 2022 season.
San Diego under head of baseball operations A.J. Preller is known for hyper activity at this time of year. Preller relentlessly pursues every area he can, is determined to find upgrades for his team and has particular fondness for players he has long liked.
For example, multiple sources said that Preller has at least considered ways to acquire one of his long-time targets, Rafael Devers, though with seven years at $211 million left on his pact, he has one of the most unappealing remaining contracts in the majors. But the Padres have been determined to add lefty-hitting and starting pitching at this deadline.
Senga is not exactly even a starting pitcher, and the Padres were described as more in the investigating and inquiring mode that heavily focused on the righty.
However, San Diego is in a desperate spot when it comes to getting length from starters – Michael King gives that to them regularly and no one else. So the Padres have taken to opening relievers or using multiple hybrid-type starters to cover innings.
On Friday, in his first start since June 23, Senga dominated the Marlins for four innings before fading and not getting an out in the fifth. Those four innings, though, could be a window to how Senga might be used best the rest of the year.
Of course, there are myriad hurdles. Senga is owed about $4.7 million more this season and $14 million next year. He had a 1.47 ERA through June 12 last season, when he hurt his right hamstring catching a high toss from Pete Alonso. Since then he has been oft-injured and terrible when he has pitched with a 7.36 ERA in 22 games and 17 starts. So to move him, the Mets likely would have to accept a bad contract back and/or eat a significant portion of his deal.
His stuff has remained strong even as he struggles and so perhaps there is an avenue where some team is trying to buy low and see if away from the Mets he might do better. David Petrson, after all, has five out of six really strong starts since being traded to the Cubs after producing a 6.09 ERA bouncing between the rotation and bullpen with the Mets.
And Preller liked Senga when he was a free agent after playing for the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks. Senga considers Yu Darvish a mentor, has worked out with him in the offseason and Darvish is still with the Padres. And Preller this season has been collecting starters with major league success who broke recently such as Walker Buehler, Griffin Canning, Lucas Giolito and German Marquez – generally to not great success.
But Preller has tried to be creative with Darvish, Joe Musgrove and Nick Pivetta combining for four starts this year (all early by Pivetta) without clarity that any of those veteran righties will return. It is possible he sees Senga as a buy-low way to cover hybrid starter innings?
