The New York Mets would be happy to reinsert one of their key outfielders back into their fold next season.
Mets like the thought of re-signing OF Jesse Winker
Connor Long of Metsmerizedonline.com relayed a recent report which revealed the Mets’ intentions:
“According to The Athletic’s Will Sammon, the Mets have shown some interest in bringing outfielder/DH Jesse Winker back next season,” Long published on Sunday.
Winker made his debut for the Mets on July 28. Across 129 plate appearances in 44 games played for New York, the eight-veteran scored 12 runs, hit three home runs, and drove in 13 RBIs with a .243/.318/.365 slash line. He finished the year with 63 runs, 14 long balls and 58 RBIs.
The New York native was also perfect in the outfield across 27 appearances for the Mets, where he saw 15 games in right field and 12 games in left field. Winker notched 31 putouts and two assists out of the 33 chances he had on the campaign.
Mets: Winker’s quality play carried over intothe 2024 playoffs
When it mattered most, the 31-year-old posted an OPS north of 1.000 in each of the Mets’ final three playoff series in 2024. His seven walks outnumbered his five strikeouts, and Winker also contributed one homer, seven runs scored and one stolen base alongside those notable peripherals.
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Mets: Winker could be due for a slight raise on his next deal
Winker is coming off of a one-year, $2 million deal he signed with the Washington Nationals ahead of the 2024 campaign. He’s seen considerable fluctuations in his average annual salary since 2021, where he earned seven figures for the second time in his career and the first time since 2012. Winker took home $3.15 million in 2021, and then signed a two-year, $14.5 million deal ahead of the 2022 campaign before falling back down to that $2M marker last time out. His play has reflected his pay in that span, but he could be in line for a bump in salary on his next deal.
That being said, the Mets could yield a nice return on investment by bringing Winker back this offseason. Their outfield is in danger of losing Harrison Bader to free agency. Thus, they could use as many able bodies and stout contributors as possible to maximize their chances of advancing past the National League Championship Series next time around, where they fell short in 2024.
