Getty The Mets must deal with Kodai Senga being sidelined. Should they dip into free agency and sign Zack Greinke to fill the void?
The New York Mets remade their 2024 starting rotation with the expectation that Kodai Senga would be leading the way. Unfortunately for the Amazins, that won’t be happening to start the season. Could six-time All-Star and 20-year MLB veteran Zack Greinke be acquired as at least a temporary replacement?
Instead of jumping into free agency to sign Blake Snell or Jordan Montgomery to fill the void left by Senga, FanSided’s Curt Bishop had a different idea on February 23. He named three free-agent hurlers New York could sign that wouldn’t break the bank. The top option he shared was Greinke, along with Michael Lorenzen and Rich Hill.
Senga was initially diagnosed with “overall arm fatigue” before undergoing tests. After an MRI, the 2023 National League Rookie of the Year runner-up was diagnosed with a moderate capsule strain in the back of his shoulder. He’s expected to hit the Injured List and miss Opening Day.
Greinke Had a Rough 2023 With the Royals
Since debuting in 2004 with the Kansas City Royals, Greinke has built up an impressive resume that will lead to an intriguing Hall of Fame debut once he retires. Outside of his six All-Star Game selections, the right-hander has won a Cy Young Award, six Gold Glove Awards, two Silver Slugger Awards, and two ERA titles. He also boasts a 3.49 career ERA with 225 total wins.
Unfortunately for the 40-year-old, his 2023 campaign didn’t go a long way in helping him secure a job for 2024. Greinke went 2-15 for Kansas City with a 5.06 ERA, 1.28 WHIP and 97 strikeouts in 142.1 innings.
He wasn’t even sure if he wanted to keep pitching at the end of last season. His tune changed rather quickly, though. MLB.com’s Jon Morosi reported on December 12 that Greinke was preparing to pitch in 2024. “Zack Greinke’s representatives have communicated to MLB teams that he’s preparing to pitch in 2024 and is open to contract talks,” he said on X (formerly Twitter).
Zack Greinke’s representatives have communicated to @MLB teams that he’s preparing to pitch in 2024 and is open to contract talks.
Greinke, 40, went 2-15 with a 5.06 ERA this year over 142 1/3 innings.
Heading back to Kansas City seemed like a logical step. However, the Royals have invested a lot of money in their 2024 roster. This included separate deals with hurlers Michael Wacha and Seth Lugo to bolster the rotation.
Mets Will Likely Stay Internal to Make up for Senga’s Absence
Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns didn’t mince his words upon sharing the unfortunate Senga update on February 22. The team’s top exec told reporters, including MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo, that this injury doesn’t increase their chances of making another external addition via free agency.
Based on New York’s offseason approach of handing out short-term contracts, it makes sense that they wouldn’t drop a lot of money on Snell or Montgomery. However, a depth signing for a pitcher in the lower tier of the open market doesn’t sound like a bad idea.
New York is expected to lean on its perceived starting rotation depth to deal with Senga’s absence. The hurler most likely to step in is Tylor Megill. FanGraphs’ Roster Resource projects him to grab the rotation’s fifth spot in Queens to start 2024.
Megill added two pitches to his arsenal over the offseason. He’s calling one of them the “American spork,” which is a splitter modeled after Senga’s Ghost Fork. The righty made his spring debut on February 24 against the St. Louis Cardinals. He allowed one run on two hits, no walks and three strikeouts in two innings of work.