Jesse Winker Re-Signs with the New York Mets
Jesse Winker is returning to Queens! - Are there really Pete Alonso implications?
The Mets have reunited with one of their trade deadline acquisitions from last year. Today, January 16, 2025, the two parties agreed to a 1 year - $7.5 million contract with incentives that can reach $9 million. I’m ecstatic about this move. I love the energy Winker plays with and he wanted to return to Queens.
It has been reported that this signing signals that the Mets are going to move ahead with other potential offseason plans that do not include Pete Alonso. This does not by any means 100% rule out a reunion with Pete Alonso. However, late last night, reports surfaced that it was becoming increasingly unlikely that Pete would return to the Mets. This is not an end to the situation and nothing is absolute until Pete signs with another team. However, the same reports today mentioned that the Mets do have offers out with other players, and if any of them accept, Pete will almost certainly not be a Met anymore.
That’s the reality of the situation, but this is a celebration that the Mets have brought back one of their major glue guys in the second half and postseason. The following breakdown is about my feelings about Winker as a player as well as his role in the clubhouse, is an excerpt from my unreleased offseason plan for the 2025 New York Mets:
The Clubhouse Fit
“A trade deadline acquisition, Winker joined the Mets in the midst of their surge in late July. Known for his fiery personality, Winker has had his run-ins with Mets fans in the past. Notably in 2021 when Winker was with the Reds and a Mets fan made an explicit sign for him. Winker later traded with the fan in exchange for the sign. More recently, it was just on July 4th where Winker haunted the Mets, hitting a game-winning home run in the 8th inning.
Ecstatic to become a part of the New York Mets, Winker kept being himself. That fiery personality became a jolt of energy for the Mets. The start of Winker’s tenure with the Amazins didn’t quite light the world on fire, but it all culminated on August 21st when Wink hit his first home run as a Met. A walk-off winner against the contending Baltimore Orioles. It was the second game of that series in which the Mets won 4-3 via a walk-off home run. Winker went berserk on his way around the bases as SNY captured every angle here. Wink’s energy can fire up the dugout at any point of the game. While many tabbed him as a player you love to have on your team, but hate to play against. Well, I want him and the spark plug energy he brings to my team.”
The Player in Between the White Lines
“Jesse Winker was the best left-handed hitting DH/outfielder on the trade market this year. The Mets got him at a relatively low cost and Winkers presence more than made it worth it. His 97 wRC+ with the Mets in the regular season was not outstanding by any means, but Mets fans will remember his postseason performances and the fire he brought to those series. His 1.167 postseason OPS and 224 wRC+ was one of the best single postseason performances in Mets history. After tacking on an insurance run in the top of the 9th in game three of the NL Wild Card series, Winker slammed his helmet in a moment where pure emotion and competitiveness took over.
Beyond the postseason heroics and production during the regular season, there are aspects to Winker’s profile that appeal to the Mets and bring value to their lineup. Two things Winker does almost better than anyone in the league in 2024 were chase% & BB%. He was in the 96th percentile in both metrics per Baseball Savant, which ranked 11th in chase% and 10th in BB% amongst qualified hitters. Winker’s ability to get on base, also represented by a 89th percentile xOBP shows how he lengthens the Mets’ lineup. His 78th percentile whiff% also shows that he isn’t missing much even when he swings.
It is no surprise that Winker is not expected to be a middle of the order bat for the Mets. Realistically he provides a strong platoon option at DH and has the ability to play the outfield to give the other corner guys in Brandon Nimmo & Juan Soto a day off from the field without having to lose their bat in the lineup. Having a hitter in the 6th or 7th spot in your lineup with elite plate discipline and elite walk rates is a phenomenal player to have. Working counts, extending pitch counts, not giving pitcher’s an easy out and not missing pitches/putting balls in play brings extreme value when building a team. That value is not as well represented in present analytics. Putting the ball in play above all else is one of the foundational skills a player is taught from the moment they step on a field for the first time. Winker doesn’t just have these skills, he is one of the best in the league at them.”
Filling in the Margins
Winker at the moment figures to be the main DH for the 2025 Mets. He will be in a platoon with Starling Marte as things stand, but Wink will get the majority of the starts. Make no mistake, I do not see him as a prevalent middle of the order bat as I stated above. As my good friends
& (OverdueSports & DiscussBaseball on X) say, he’s a great Vibes Above Replacement (VAR) guy. The relationships he developed, especially with Francisco Lindor, are what made his time with the Met so special. The role players and clubhouse guys that keep the boat afloat are also extremely important. Mets fans know that just as good as anyone after the roller coaster that was 2024.Wink said it was a dream to be a Met and now he gets to be for a full year. I couldn’t be happier with this move and I’m excited to see who else David Stearns and co. bring in to round out this team.
For more on Winker, the Mets offseason, any baseball new or to share your opinions, follow me on X/Twitter @OCBaseball814. LFGM!
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