Japanese Star Pitcher Kodai Senga Expected to Consider MLB Offers
Kodai Senga, a right-handed pitcher with the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball league, is on the path of weighing offers from Major League Baseball teams this winter, according to Jon Morosi, as reported by CBS Sports.
Senga, who will celebrate his 30th birthday in January, is an accomplished talent. This season alone, he’s amassed a 2.05 ERA and a 3.48 strikeout-to-walk ratio across 105 innings.
For his NPB career, he’s posted a 2.62 ERA and a 3.04 strikeout-to-walk ratio in more than 1,000 innings.
Senga throws a number of pitches, including a pair of breaking balls. His best offerings, though, are his mid-90s fastball and his forkball.
Although Senga technically signed a five-year contract with the Hawks last offseason, his deal includes an opt-out clause that he can exercise this winter.
That provision, along with his age and service time, would make him a true free agent and not someone who would be subjected to the posting system. The Hawks, for their part, have refused to “post” Senga despite his past requests.
