Spring training usually doesn’t mean much, but for the Mets, February 15 at Clover Park was different. Kodai Senga, once expected to be the team’s ace, was back on the mound. He threw 16 pitches, touched 96 mph, and didn’t look restricted by the shoulder injury that kept him out for nearly all of 2024. It was a rare moment of stability for a rotation built on uncertainty.<\/p>
“I saw a smile on his face,”<\/em> manager Carlos Mendoza said. “That’s a good sign.”<\/em><\/p> The Mets didn’t chase an ace this offseason. They passed on Max Fried, Blake Snell, and Corbin Burnes. Instead, they bet on depth. They brought back Sean Manaea for $75 million, signed Clay Holmes—a closer who hasn’t started since 2018—to a $38 million deal, and took a chance on injury-prone Frankie Montas. They also added Griffin Canning, who led the league in home runs allowed last season.<\/p>Mets’ rotation is a high-risk gamble<\/h2>