Ah, Jesse Winker and Mets fans, one of the greatest love stories of all time.
Prior to this season, Winker and the fans at Citi Field had their moments, with Winker waving goodbye to the crowd after hitting a game-winning home run as a member of the Cincinnati Reds in May 2019. Two days later, after making a sliding, game-winning catch, Winker taunted the crowd again, cementing himself as a Mets villain.
Until the second half of this past season, when a Shyamalan-level twist saw the Mets trade for Winker ahead of the deadline, bringing in a needed left-handed bat and adding to their outfield depth.
Winker provided the exact spark the Mets were looking for, including a walk-off homer against the Baltimore Orioles in August, and a big homer against the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 3 of the NLDS.
The veteran outfielder is now a free agent, and the Mets have plenty of decisions to make when it comes to building their roster for 2025 and beyond.
So, should Winker be in the mix for next season? Let’s dig in…
WHY IT COULD MAKE SENSE TO LET WINKER LEAVE
With an OPS+ of 118, Winker has been an above-average player for his entire career (an OPS+ of 100 is league average). But it’s worth noting that his numbers have been in decline since his All-Star season of 2021. Winker hit .305 that season with a .949 OPS, but his numbers have been trending downward, with the outfielder posting a .688 OPS with Seattle in 2022, and a .567 OPS with Milwaukee in 2023.
Winker’s OPS jumped back up a tad the past season at .764 between the Mets and Washington Nationals, but it’s worth wondering if that was an exception to the rule, or if Winker truly is rounding back towards his All-Star form.
Whenever we talk about the Mets potentially signing an outfielder, the Juan Soto factor has to come into play. The Mets are going to be major players in the Soto sweepstakes, and if they were to land the megastar, he’d likely play right field every single day. And even if they don’t land Soto, the Mets will likely try to upgrade the outfield in some way, which could potentially mean moving on from Starling Marte or using him as a DH. David Stearns has said that he envisions Brandon Nimmo being the everyday left fielder in 2025, and center field could once again belong to Tyrone Taylor, who made a tremendous impression last season, particularly down the stretch. The Mets also have prospects Jett Williams and Drew Gilbert as potential outfield options at some point next season, so it’s fair to wonder how Winker might fit into this log jam.
At this point in his career, the 31-year-old Winker doesn’t play the outfield all that well, as evidenced by his -11 outs above average this past season. He has a strong throwing arm (ranked by Baseball Savant in the 97th percentile), but Winker is a liability in the outfield, so unless the Mets need DH at-bats, it’s likely that Winker doesn’t really fit into the puzzle as a starter.
WHY IT COULD MAKE SENSE TO KEEP WINKER
You can’t build a playoff team based solely off vibes, right?
…Right?
Sure, Winker has his warts as a player, as discussed above. But he seemed to instantly energize the Mets clubhouse once he arrived in July, and having glue guys like that on the roster is surely important.
Plus, Winker has hit very well against righties for his entire career, slashing .276/.379/.462 with 81 career homers.
Winker is also very selective at the plate, with a 19.0 chase percentage and 12.4 percent walk percentage in 2024, both of which ranked in the 96th percentile, according to Baseball Savant. So if the Mets are looking for a reliable lefty bat off the bench in 2025, Winker has the exact kind of approach the team should be looking for.
On top of all of that, Winker will also be very affordable, with Spotrac placing his market value around $2.5 million for one season. The Mets have money to spend, and Winker could be brought back on a very modest deal, especially if the Mets see him as part of the answer at DH.
VERDICT
If Winker is comfortable being a bench player who starts sparingly but will be counted on as a key bat off the bench, he and the Mets remain a perfect fit.
Winker was the pulse of the Mets’ clubhouse on their run to the NLCS, and when he was given chances to play, he came up with some huge moments. His range in the outfield isn’t great, but Winker has a strong arm and can fill in in the outfield when needed.
More importantly, Winker has been a solid-to-above-average hitter against right-handers for his entire career, and having a player like that available off the bench would be a huge plus for a Mets team with legitimate World Series aspirations.
If Winker is okay with a bench role, with the potential to see at-bats as a DH, bringing him back for $2-3 million seems like a slam dunk.
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