The New York Mets and free-agent outfielder Jesse Winker have reached an agreement to reunite. Winker will make $7.5 million with the chance to reach $9 million with bonuses, according to the New York Post.
Winker, 31, ended last season with the Mets following a midseason trade. In 44 games, he batted .243/.318/.365 (95 OPS+) with three home runs and 13 runs batted in. He also enjoyed an eventful postseason run with the Mets, posting a 1.168 OPS in 32 trips to the plate during New York’s run to the National League Championship Series.
Over parts of eight big-league seasons, Winker has hit .262/.367/.437 (118 OPS+) with 95 home runs. His contributions have been worth an estimated 6.5 Wins Above Replacement. He’s a one-time All-Star, having made the 2021 Midsummer Classic.
Entering the offseason, CBS Sports ranked Winker as the No. 47 best free agent available. Here’s what we wrote at the time:
Winker split his year between the Nationals and Mets, amassing a 118 OPS+ that served as his best mark since 2021 — back when he made his first (and to date only) All-Star Game appearance. Winker’s underlying metrics suggest he wasn’t all the way back to that form, but that he did hit the ball harder (and more frequently hard) than in recent years. That, plus his undeniable feel for the zone and contact, are enough for us to believe some team will roster him as their most-days left fielder to begin the 2025 season.
Winker joins an outfield depth chart that now includes Juan Soto and trade acquisition Jose Siri, in addition to incumbents Brandon Nimmo, Starling Marte, and Tyrone Taylor. It seems at least possible that the Mets could look to move from that surplus, with Marte’s name having surfaced on the rumor mill already this offseason.
Elsewhere on the reunion front, the Mets have reportedly set a deadline in negotiations with first baseman Pete Alonso.
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