NEW YORK — Japanese pitcher Kodai Sengo and the Mets have agreed to terms on a five-year, $75 million contract, according to a person familiar with the negotiations.
The person spoke to The Associated Press on Sunday morning on condition of anonymity because the deal was pending a physical review.
It’s the latest big move for Dodgers owner Steve Cohen and the busy Mets during a whirlwind week. Senga numbers in the middle of a revamped rotation led by three-time Cy Young Award winners Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander.
Hours earlier, the Mets completed an eight-year, $162 million contract Saturday to bring back free agent center fielder Brandon Nimmo. New York has also completed trades for slugger pitchers Verlander, Jose Quintana and David Robertson in the past few days after re-signing Edwin Diaz to a $102 million, five-year contract last month.
In the last week, the Mets have allocated $359.7 million to five free agents, including Senge. Add in Diaz, who re-signed before other teams were allowed to negotiate with him, and that’s $461.7 million for six free agents this offseason — five pitchers.
The moves push New York’s projected 2023 payroll to about $340 million — well above the top luxury tax threshold of $293 million. And that’s without any other major additions this winter.
Under Cohen, who purchased the club in November 2020, the Mets became baseball’s biggest spender this year for the first time since 1989. Their payroll was $273.9 million as of Aug. 31, and the final numbers, which include bonuses, have yet to be tallied.
Sengo, a right-handed pitcher, did not have to go through the Japanese major league placement system because he has 11 seasons of service. Several teams in the United States were said to be pursuing him, including the Boston Red Sox.
“I like him,” Mets manager Buck Showalter said Tuesday in San Diego at baseball’s winter training camp. “It’s hard to predict these guys. But a good pitcher is a good pitcher.”
Sengo, who will turn 30 in January, was 11-6 with a 1.94 ERA in 22 starts for the Pacific League’s Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks last season. He pitched three scoreless innings, allowing one hit and striking out six on two shots in Team Japan’s two games against Team USA at the Olympics last year.
“You always think about the pitching load every fifth day compared to (once a week in Japan), but they said there were some really good Japanese pitchers that came here and pitched well,” Showalter said. “So he’s good. We talked with him. And he is impressive. You can see why they think so highly of him. I enjoyed our little conversation with him.”
New York has overhauled its pitching staff since its playoff loss to San Diego in the wild card round.
Verlander received a two-year, $86.7 million contract that includes a conditional $35 million player option for 2025. Quintana, another experienced starter who has been ticketed for the rotation, signed a two-year, $26 million deal. Robertson, a veteran, received $10 million in one year.
Sengo, Verlander and Quintana replace three 2022 Mets starters who became free agents this offseason: Jacob deGrom left for Texas, Tyjuan Walker struck a deal with Philadelphia pending review and Chris Bassitt remains available on the open market.
Also in the rotation is veteran Carlos Carrasco. New York picked up his $14 million option for next season after the 35-year-old right-hander went 15-7 with a 3.97 ERA.
David Peterson and Tyler Magill, both 27, provide depth.
