Mets Rumors: Carlos Rodón, Justin Verlander, Koudai Senga Among Targets

The New York Mets are reportedly exploring their options in the pitching market in case Jacob deGrom signs elsewhere in free agency.

According to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, the Mets have met with Justin Verlander, Carlos Rodón and Koudai Senga as they explore potential starters to pair with Max Scherzer atop the rotation, even if they would keep deGrom in their "own best scenario."

Verlander may be a long shot, though, as Sherman reported many executives believe he is "going through the motions" before eventually remaining with the Houston Astros.

The future Hall of Famer figures to sign a shorter deal since he turns 40 years old in February, but that would work for a Mets team that is in win-now mode after going 101-61 last season.

While there may be some question marks about Verlander's age and durability, he answered most of those worries last season as the American League Cy Young winner with a 1.75 ERA, 0.83 WHIP and 185 strikeouts in 175 innings for the champion Astros.

And then there is Rodón, who is coming off two straight All-Star selections and will be just 30 years old in 2023.

He pitched for the San Francisco Giants last season and posted a 2.88 ERA and 1.03 WHIP, marking his second straight season with a sub-3.00 ERA following injury concerns and inconsistency earlier in his career.

Senga may be the least familiar name for stateside fans, considering he pitched in Japan's NPB. Like Rodón, he will be 30 next season and is coming off an impressive year that saw him tally a 1.94 ERA with 156 strikeouts across 144 innings.

"Though NPB is not MLB, his decade-long track record of excellence in what is widely considered the world's second-best league has a huge group of teams targeting him as one of the most appealing players on the entire free agent market," Jordan Shusterman of Fox Sports wrote about Senga.

The Mets are apparently one of those teams, and signing Senga instead of one of the headline names like Verlander or deGrom could help free up money to help address the roster elsewhere.