The Los Angeles Dodgers are nearing a deal with longtime ace Clayton Kershaw with the MLB free agency period officially underway but it hasn't stopped them from continuing their pursuit of starting pitching. Jon Morosi of MLB Network reports that the Dodgers are interested in Japanese ace Kodai Senga, who is officially eligible to begin the negotiation process with teams.
Morosi had previously reported that the Chicago Cubs, Seattle Mariners, Toronto Blue Jays and San Diego Padres all expressed interested in the Japanese right-hander. The Dodgers have plenty of competition, which isn't surprising, given the unique circumstances surrounding Kodai Senga.
Notably, Senga is not subject to the posting system that has become routine for players coming over from Japan.
Senga, who will be 30 in January, signed a five-year contract with the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks back in December, but the deal featured an opt-out after the first season, which the strikeout artist exercised, according to MLB Trade Rumors.
That means that whoever, signs Senga in MLB free agency won't have to pay the Hawks fees. That makes Senga, who has pitched to a career 2.59 ERA in the Nippon Professional Baseball league, even more desirable.
Senga utilized his curveball and slider more often in 2022, resulting in the Japanese ace missing many more bats than he ever had.
One can imagine the Dodgers, who have become something of a pitching factory in recent years, getting even more out of Senga.
With Kershaw nearing a one-year deal and Tyler Anderson mulling the qualifying offer the Dodgers extended to him, perhaps the club views Senga as added rotation insurance, especially with Walker Buehler recovering from a second Tommy John surgery in August.
It will be interesting to see who wins the Kodai Senga sweepstakes.
Follow Us
Subscribe