Fact Check: Did Kodai Senga recruit Shohei Ohtani to New York Mets? Japanese pitcher pictured deep in conversation with Angels star

2023 has been the year of Shohei Ohtani. From the Japanese superstar's incredible performances to his pending free agency, Ohtani is the name on everyone's lips these days. Now, it appears that any conversation someone has with the two-way star, there will undoubtedly be buzz around it.

"Kodai Senga chatting with Shohei Ohtani" - @WE_ARE_MET_FANS

The most recent situation that has caused a stir is a conversation between New York Mets starter Kodai Senga and Shohei Ohtani. The two were caught in deep conversation during All-Star weekend in Seattle, Washington, with many around the league jumping to the conclusion that Senga was recruiting him to New York.

The two were coy in their responses to the questioning surrounding what the two stars were discussing, however, Senga did add fuel to the fire by joking about giving Ohtani a Mets hat.

"When asked about recruiting Shohei Ohtani to the Mets, Kodai Senga said 'I'm going to put this hat on him right now'"- @TalkinBaseball_

While the two played off the questions from reporters, there are some who believe that Kodai Senga was recruiting him to play with him in New York. However, the two merely said that they were catching up and are friends from their time in Japan.

"'I've had a relationship with him in the past in Japan. I still haven't seen him since he joined the Mets yet because we haven't played them.' #LGM ~ Shohei Ohtani on his relationship with Kodai Senga." - @genymets

Even though the two may simply have been catching up, the New York Mets have widely been considered a potential landing for the Japanese mega-star if he does hit the open market.

It's been a disappointing season for the New York Mets, however, they are also a trade candidate for Ohtani if the Los Angeles Angels make him available before the deadline. The Mets have a plethora of stars and prospects who could entice the Angels to move him before he even reaches free agency.

Shohei Ohtani is expected to command to the most expensive contract in MLB history if he hits the free agent market

Shohei Ohtani's pending free agency is expected to be the most talked about and most lucrative in league history. Some experts believe that $500 million is the base-level contract that Shohei should expect, with others believing that a contract in the $600 million range is a realistic possibility.

"Either Arte Moreno offers Ohtani 10-years, $600 million now or he trades him for a king’s ransom. There is simply no way you allow your organization to lose the greatest baseball player to ever live at 29-years-old for nothing because you wanted to be a bidder at season’s end" - @GarysheffieldJr