Jesse Winker traded to Mets from Nationals

NEW YORK — Jesse Winker once said that he “loves” Mets fans. He’ll now have a chance to build a lasting relationship with them.

The Mets agreed to terms late Saturday on a trade to acquire Winker from the Nationals, giving the Mets a much-needed left-handed outfielder to complement their current mix. Winker, who signed a $2 million contract with the Nationals last offseason, is a pure rental who will be a free agent in November.

With Starling Marte continuing to nurse a bone bruise in his right knee that could sideline him until late August, Winker can hold down a corner spot in the short term and perhaps share time with Marte after that.

Mets receive: OF Jesse Winker
Nationals receive: RHP Tyler Stuart (Mets’ No. 17 prospect)

“Big move,” manager Carlos Mendoza said after the teams announced the deal on Sunday morning. “Obviously a lefty bat. We’ve seen it a lot, especially when we’ve played the Nationals and the at-bats, the way he controls the strike zone, the power. He’s going to help.”

The Mets sent right-handed pitching prospect Tyler Stuart to the Nationals for Winker in the one-for-one deal, parting with their No. 17 prospect entering the season, per MLB Pipeline. Stuart had a 3.96 ERA over 17 starts at Double-A Binghamton.

To most fans, he was an unknown commodity. Winker was not. The 30-year-old Winker is in the midst of a bounce-back season following a pair of injury-laden down years, with a .257/.374/.419 slash line and 11 home runs over 101 games. He has played mostly in left field for the Nationals but has experience in right — a position that is “on the table” for him in Flushing, per Mendoza. Winker could also DH from time to time, though with J.D. Martinez receiving the lion’s share of those reps, the bulk of Winker’s time is likely to come in the field.

In New York, Winker is best-known for a series of interactions over the past five years that turned him into a Citi Field heel. In 2019 with the Reds, Winker waved to fans at the ballpark after multiple key plays, including a go-ahead home run and a sliding, game-ending catch. Three years later with the Mariners, Winker hit a game-tying, three run homer and again waved to the crowd as he crossed home plate. A Buffalo, N.Y. native, Winker has had several other playful interactions at Citi over the years, once trading a baseball with a fan in exchange for a hand-written sign.

“It was fun,” Winker said Sunday upon arriving in Queens. “My first couple of full seasons, I was maybe a little on the immature side, and I had some fun. But obviously, it’s a passionate fan base, and I’m excited to play hard for them.”

After learning of the trade during the Nationals’ game against the Cardinals on Saturday, Winker flew early Sunday morning from St. Louis and arrived at Citi Field in time to be active for that afternoon’s game, receiving something of a hero’s welcome. Winker has longstanding relationships with Pete Alonso and Francisco Lindor from the youth travel ball circuit in Florida and knows several others from his time around the Majors.

“I can’t say enough amazing things about this team,” Winker said. “Having to compete against them has been such a challenge every season. So it’s cool to be in this clubhouse.”

To clear roster space for Winker, the Mets optioned DJ Stewart to Triple-A Syracuse.

An eight-year veteran, Winker was an All-Star in 2021, hitting 24 homers with a .949 OPS in 110 games for the Reds. Although he has never reached those heights before or since, Winker is in the midst of his best season since then. Key to Winker’s game is his plate discipline; he ranks in the 97th percentile in MLB in both chase rate and walk rate.

Essentially, Winker is an upgrade over Stewart, who had been the Mets’ top left-handed bench bat and an infrequent starter in right field. The Mets had reportedly checked in on Michael Conforto for that gig, but Winker has constructed a stronger season than Conforto in most every regard. With Marte sidelined, the Mets have been using a mix of Stewart, Jeff McNeil and Tyrone Taylor in right. Winker presents more of an everyday solution.

The Mets have now made three additions leading up to the Trade Deadline in Winker, Phil Maton and Ryne Stanek. The latter two pitchers filled an obvious bullpen need, while Winker can help shore up the bench. What remains to be seen is if the Mets will address their rotation, which recently lost to key members in Christian Scott and Kodai Senga. The team announced Saturday that Senga is likely to miss the rest of the regular season recovering from a left calf strain.