Jesse Winker endeared himself to New York Mets fans with his fiery style of play. His regular-season numbers after a trade-deadline deal sent him to New York look pedestrian: three home runs and a .243 batting average with a .683 OPS. But his 1.168 OPS in 32 postseason plate appearances, combined with the emotion he showed after several key plays left a lasting impression.
There’s mutual interest in exploring a reunion. Winker, though, should have plenty of potential suitors after bouncing back with a solid season. Winker mostly profiles as a left-handed batting DH, but he played the corner outfield spots passably with the Mets. Across his time with the Washington Nationals and the Mets, Winker hit 14 home runs, stole 14 bases (a career best) and produced a .764 OPS, buoyed by his elite patience. Winker’s 118 OPS+ was his best figure since 2021. At 31 years old and despite dealing with injuries in previous seasons and an achy back late in 2024, Winker showed clubs he still has plenty to offer.
Need in 2025 and beyond
The Mets don’t have a returning regular at DH, and Winker’s ability to at least stand in the outfield would give manager Carlos Mendoza more flexibility than he had with J.D. Martinez in 2024. A player capable of playing the corner outfield (and offering protection for Starling Marte and Brandon Nimmo, who are no strangers to missing time) while producing enough with the bat to DH the rest of the time would be an excellent fit.
The market
Winker will straddle the line between set DHs like Joc Pederson and Martinez and lefty-swinging corner outfielders like Michael Conforto and Max Kepler. He’s coming off the best season of that latter group, and his patient approach could be a separator for some teams.
Other teams that might be interested
Teams with an opening at DH and/or some interest in upgrading in the corner outfield should be in on Winker — a group that includes Kansas City, San Francisco, Arizona and Toronto.
Projected salary
A rebound season capped by a solid postseason? Winker wouldn’t mind following the financial blueprint established by Mike Morse, who after driving in the game-winning run in Game 7 of the 2014 World Series signed a two-year deal with the Marlins that would be worth $21 million in today’s money. Winker probably doesn’t get that much, but a one-year deal at $10 million or two for around $18 million could be in the cards.
What should be the Mets’ level of interest?
Winker hasn’t shied away from wanting to return to Queens, and this looks like a solid fit. The veteran can play the same role he did after coming over at the trade deadline, getting occasional starts in the outfield when needed and getting his at-bats at DH otherwise. He brings two things to the table the Mets could use: an edge and a keen batting eye. Winker’s competitiveness can boost energy in the season’s dog days, and his patience at the plate gave New York a new dimension in the bottom half of its lineup late in the season.
On his first day with the Mets, J.D. Martinez referred to himself as an “open book” when it came to sharing advice about hitting. Quickly, players like Mark Vientos ended up absorbing information from Martinez. The benefits of Martinez’s presence extended beyond hitting conversations, to helping set a tone in the clubhouse that proved it could handle extreme ups and downs. In some ways, Martinez supplied the Mets with what they expected.
However, New York could’ve used more production from Martinez. His 106 OPS+ in 2024 was his lowest over any full season since he left the Houston Astros and became a star hitter 10 years ago. In 495 plate appearances, Martinez slashed .235/.320/.406 with 16 home runs and 69 RBIs. After signing late and needing to troubleshoot a back issue, Martinez stayed available all season. He performed well against left-handed pitchers (.836 OPS) and with runners in scoring position (.955 OPS). But Martinez faded down the stretch and lost playing time during the Mets’ playoff run.
Martinez, 37, wants to keep playing, but whether he does beyond 2024 likely depends on his market. After he hit 33 home runs with a 136 OPS+ in 2023, he needed to wait weeks into spring training before finding a deal to his liking (and even that was a one-year deal with deferrals), largely because of his age and lack of positional versatility as just a designated hitter. Still, he remains someone who can help several lineups.
Need in 2025 and beyond
Unless the Mets want to make Vientos an everyday DH — not likely — there should be plenty of at-bats available in that position next season. It’s not an area you typically occupy with an up-and-coming youngster, and the Mets don’t necessarily have to keep it open for a rotating set of players as some teams do.
The market
DHs seldom land multi-year deals, and thus Martinez will be part of a market really similar to last year’s, alongside Justin Turner, Pederson and Andrew McCutchen. (Eloy Jiménez is the young interloper.) Of that group, Pederson is clearly coming off the best season. Martinez’s lack of versatility probably puts him behind Turner, as well.
Other teams that might be interested
Quite a few teams could use a hitter of Martinez’s experience and production. He’s long been connected to the Marlins in free agency because of his Miami roots, and the Brewers and Diamondbacks are contenders who could be in the market for a slugger.
Projected salary
Salary deferrals in his one-year, $12 million deal with the Mets reduced the value of Martinez’s contract to under $10 million a year ago. Coming off a worse season, one in which he lost his everyday spot in the lineup late in the year, a one-year deal in the $7 million range would probably get it done.
What should be the Mets’ level of interest?
Martinez was a welcome part of the lineup and the clubhouse in 2024, but it would be a surprise if the Mets wanted to extend the relationship for another season. Their preference, even before ’24, was to avoid the inflexibility of an everyday DH incapable of playing the field, and Martinez didn’t do enough to dissuade them from that idea. He looks to have something in the tank and wants to continue playing, but it’s unlikely to be for the Mets.
(Top photo of Jesse Winker: Christopher Pasatieri / Getty Images)
