Kodai Senga Gives The Cubs Rotational Depth And Fantasy Baseball Upside In Potential Trade

Kane Kepley Mets

Mar 13, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Chicago Cubs outfielder Kane Kepley against the Chicago White Sox during a spring training game at Camelback Ranch-Glendale. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Kane Kepley joining the Mets similarly offers no 2026 fantasy value in standard leagues, but he profiles as a future speed-focused contributor in dynasty formats.

Coming off a 2025 season with a .299 average, .481 OBP, and 16 stolen bases in limited games, his fantasy impact will center on stolen bases, runs, and on-base percentage once he reaches the majors, though his limited power caps his upside to more of a category specialist than a complete fantasy outfielder.

Jostin Florentino Mets

Jostin Florentino landing with the Mets has no immediate redraft fantasy impact, but in dynasty formats, he adds long-term pitching depth with mid-rotation upside.

After a 2025 season featuring a 2.43 ERA and 101 strikeouts over 81.1 innings, his fantasy value is entirely developmental, projecting as a future SP3-type arm who could become relevant in deeper leagues if his strikeout stuff translates fully to the majors.

Why The Mets Make The Trade

Mar 13, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Chicago Cubs outfielder Kane Kepley against the Chicago White Sox during a spring training game at Camelback Ranch-Glendale. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The Mets would consider trading Kodai Senga in this scenario because they are off to a 7-12 start and may already be drifting out of contention, which shifts their focus from competing now to retooling for the future.

With Senga struggling in 2026 (7.07 ERA, 1.71 WHIP), they could view him as a valuable trade chip whose current market value is still strong enough to bring back meaningful prospects before a potential further dip in performance.

In that context, moving him for younger, controllable talent like Jostin Florentino and Kane Kepley makes sense, as Florentino offers a developing mid-rotation pitching profile with strikeout ability, while Kepley brings elite on-base skills and speed that can contribute to a future lineup.

Overall, the motivation would be a shift toward accumulating cost-controlled upside and extending their competitive window rather than relying on an inconsistent current roster.

Why The Cubs Make The Trade

Mar 31, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; New York Mets starting pitcher Kodai Senga (34) pitches against the St. Louis Cardinals during the first inning at Busch Stadium. | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

The Cubs would consider acquiring Kodai Senga because they are sitting at 9-9 and currently last in the NL Central, and their biggest short-term weakness is a lack of reliable rotation depth with true upside.

From their perspective, adding Senga is a calculated gamble on talent and ceiling rather than current performance, since he still offers the kind of swing-and-miss ability and frontline potential that their rotation is missing.

If he stabilizes, he could immediately step in as a high-end starter who lengthens the rotation and raises the team's ceiling in a division race that is still very open.

The cost of acquiring him prospects like Jostin Florentino and Kane Kepley is seen as manageable because neither is currently impacting the major league roster, and the Cubs would be trading from long-term depth to address an immediate competitive need.

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This article was originally published on www.si.com/onsi/fantasy as Kodai Senga Gives The Cubs Rotational Depth And Fantasy Baseball Upside In Potential Trade.