Kodai Senga: 3 reasons why New York Mets added Japanese ace over other FA targets 

The New York Mets let former ace Jacob deGrom walk to the Texas Rangers, but turned around and signed two elite starting pitchers in his place. They began by signing reigning American League Cy Young winner Justin Verlander to an astounding two-year, $86 million contract.

They have followed that up by getting one of the most coveted Japanese starting pitchers in Kodai Senga. Senga had a lot of suitors, but the Mets won out by offering him a five-year, $75 million contract.

Here are a few reasons why they might have wanted to sign him instead of others like Carlos Rodon or Nathan Eovaldi.

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Why the Mets wanted Kodai Senga

#3) His age

Max Scherzer is 38 years old, much older than Senga

Despite having played for some time in the Nippon Baseball League, Senga is still just 29. Compare that to the age of the Mets' other aces and it makes sense. Verlander is nearing 40 and Max Scherzer is right behind him. Mileage on a pitcher's arm can be hugely impactful on their performance, so it is usually better to sign an elite pitcher at a younger age if possible.

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#2) He was arguably the best available

One could make the argument that Carlos Rodon was the market's best available pitcher. There is a strong argument for Senga as well. While Japanese prospects don't always pan out, many believe Senga to be one of the best free agents this year.

Rodon will probably cost more, but the Mets believe his talent is superior. That's a big and easy reason why they looked at him first. After Rodon, there is a big gap for starting pitchers, so Senga was the easy choice.

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#1) Elite stats

World Baseball Classic - Pool E- Game 6 - Israel v Japan

There's no guarantee that performances in the NBL will translate to the MLB. However, it is impossible to ignore Senga's mind-blowing stats. In 11 seasons, he posted a startling 2.42 ERA. He also tallied over 1,400 strikeouts during that time with a career 10.0 K/9 rate. He has incredible stuff and the stats back that up.

Experts expect him to be one of the league's top pitchers. His stats are probably the biggest reason why they believe that.