Japanese ace Kodai Senga will opt-out of his deal and pursue a MLB deal, the Red Sox an option?
The Red Sox are going to be looking at multiple different options for their starting rotation for the 2023 and beyond.
One name to keep an eye out for this winter is Koudai Senga, who goes by Kodai. The 29-year-old is expected to opt-out of his deal with the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks of the Nippon Professional Baseball League.
This past season, Senga pitched to an 11-6 record, 1.94 ERA, 156 strikeouts while opponents hit .200 against the righty in 22 games.
Senga will turn 30-years-old in January and if the Red Sox prefer to not shop at the top of the free agent market, he could be an option.
The Japanese import features an “exploding” fastball per Eric Longenhagen of FanGraphs. His fastball is part of a four-pitch mix he features in his arsenal. Senga also has a cutter, slider and a splitter which is considered to be his best secondary pitch.
The right-handed hurler could be a cheaper alternative than bringing back Nathan Eovaldi or if Michael Wacha out prices himself based off his impressive first season in Boston.
The Red Sox are no strangers on bringing over Japanese pitchers. Former Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein signed Daisuke Matsuzaka. He went on to pitch six seasons with the Red Sox seeing success in his first two years winning 33 games.
One concern that fans should have is how will Senga transition to MLB?
In recent years, teams have not seen success with pitchers from Japan. Most recently, the Rangers signed Kohei Arihara and his first season saw him pitch to a 9.45 ERA.
Boston needs to upgrade their rotation after posting 4.49 ERA from their starters in 2022. They finished No. 22 in MLB which is a major reason why Boston is not in the postseason.
Chaim Bloom will likely kick the tires on Senga, especially if he’s affordable. Senga is a hard-thrower and will have plenty of suitors this winter. Expect the Red Sox to be in on Senga and every other possible free agent option.
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