TBNL: Kodai Senga, Tatsuya Imai, Royals trades

Kodai Senga’s tenure with the New York Mets has been uneven, to say the least.

The results in his first season were quite solid: 12-7 with a 2.98 ERA (140 ERA+) and 202 strikeouts (10.9 K/9; 29.1 K%) over 166.1 IP (29 starts). He was an NL All-Star, finished 7th in Cy Young Award voting, and 2nd in Rookie of the Year voting (losing to Corbin Caroll).

Collectively, Senga is 8-6 with a 3.03 ERA (133 ERA+) and 118 strikeouts in the last two seasons. Multiple injuries have limited him to just 118.2 IP (23 starts). The second half of 2025 was particularly rough, with opposing hitters batting .273/.373/.545 over his final eight starts while posting a 6.56 ERA (over 35.2 IP). The Mets were forced to option him to the minor leagues in September when the struggles became so severe.

Questions remain about what the Mets might get from Senga moving forward, but speculation has also started about whether he will even still be with the team by spring training. Senga has reportedly drawn trade interest from multiple teams who view him as an “intriguing buy-low candidate,” according to The Athletic’s Will Sammon. He has two years and $28 million remaining on his contract, which would be a reasonable sum if Senga can return to being the pitcher he was before the second half of last season.

The Mets could easily choose to hold onto Senga instead of moving him, though. The club is already seeking at least one starter this offseason. Moving Senga would necessitate adding two to a mix that already includes Clay Holmes, Sean Manaea, David Peterson, and some combination of Nolan McLean, Jonah Tong, Brandon Sproat, and Christian Scott.

New York is expected to pursue signing Tatsuya Imai once he is posted by the Seibu Lions, per SNY’s Andy Martino, but he doesn’t “expect the team to mount a Yoshinobu Yamamoto-style, full-tilt pursuit”. Industry opinion on Imai’s future in MLB is mixed, with many evaluators wondering if his mid-90s fastball will be enough to challenge hitters and some even speculating that he could fit best in a relief role long-term.

Even with the questions surrounding him, Imai should be among the more fiercely pursued players this offseason. He won’t turn 28 until May, making him one of the younger starting pitchers available. The right-hander was 10-5 and worked 163.2 IP last season for the Lions, his 8th in the NPB, with career-best marks in ERA (1.92), WHIP (0.892), K% (27.8), and BB% (7.0).

While the two Japanese pitchers face entirely different situations — and are coming to MLB with very different resumes — one has to wonder how much influence Senga’s status might have on Imai’s potential interest in joining the Mets.

As the number of Japanese players in the majors increases, so do the opportunities presented for these players to play alongside their countrymen. Even if they weren’t acquainted previously, having someone from a similar background and experiencing the same kind of adjustments you are can go a long way for foreign-born players trying to adapt to a new game. Even just having someone in the clubhouse they can speak to in their native language can be a game-changer. That appeal is, at least in part, why the Dodgers were successful in signing Yamamoto, Shohei Ohtani, and Roki Sasaki — who all vocally expressed a desire to play together. Similarly, Shota Imanaga and Seiya Suzuki have enjoyed being teammates with the Cubs.

That doesn’t mean Imai prefers to play alongside Senga (or another Japanese player) — it’s possible he might, but nothing has been reported publicly — but seeing how “frustrating” Senga’s situation has become in New York might make him think twice.

Teams spent much of last week adjusting their 40-man rosters, making room for players to be activated from the injured list and ultimately setting up for a busy offseason. These moves have left several players from each league in limbo, though most of those impacted will eventually find themselves on the free agent market free to sign with anyone.

Kansas City has taken advantage, completing a pair of small trades to bring in pieces who could prove useful next season.

First, on Monday, the Royals acquired outfielder Kameron Misner from the Rays for a player to be named later or cash considerations. The former first-round pick (35th overall in 2019) out of the University of Missouri struggled in limited playing time with the Rays over the last two seasons, hitting .203/.260/.325 (63 OPS+) over 232 PA with a 34.1 SO%. Misner’s potential isn’t substantial, but he brings some speed and depth (he still has minor league options) to an outfield group that hit a collective .225/.285/.348 last season (the worst in the majors).

Also, on Tuesday, Kansas City shipped minor league right-hander Logan Martin to the Giants for right-hander Mason Black. Black had been designated for assignment by San Francisco last week (like Misner had been by Tampa Bay). Black has a 1-5 record and 6.47 ERA (61 ERA+) over 40.1 IP (10 games, 8 starts) with the Giants over the last two seasons. He, too, has shown more promise at Triple-A and has an option remaining.

Martin was KC’s 12th-round pick in the 2023 Draft. He was 8-4 with a 3.45 ERA over 91.1 IP at High-A this past season, before heading to the Arizona Fall League (where he struggled to a 9.82 ERA over 11.0 IP).

Minnesota’s manager search reportedly came down to a choice between former Pirates manager Derek Shelton and Yankees hitting coach James Rowson. Shelton got the job, but according to Bobby Nightengale of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, the Twins are hoping to convince Rowson to take the job as his bench coach. Nightengale also notes that pitching coach Pete Maki seems to be the only member of Rocco Baldelli’s staff that the Twins plan to retain.

David Fletcher hit .277/.323/.359 (86 OPS+) over six seasons with the Angels before a December 2023 trade to the Braves. He’d get into just five games with Atlanta (going 2-for-8 at the plate) before being sent to the minors and eventually outrighted off the 40-man roster. The former shortstop converted to pitching in the minors, working to a 6.42 ERA over 101.0 IP over the last two seasons. The 31-year-old announced on Tuesday that he is retiring.