1 month agoAccording to Jorge Castillo of ESPN, New York Mets outfielders
Starling Marte and
Jesse Winker are set to platoon at the designated hitter spot to open the season. Castillo noted that Marte could see occasional starts in right field. As a result, Marte will be on the short side of the platoon, given that he is the right-handed bat. Last season, the 36-year-old posted a .269/.327/.388 line with seven home runs and 16 stolen bases. However, when facing left-handed pitchers, Marte was quite effective as he posted a strong .310/.384/.460 line. Winker resigned with the Mets on a one-year contract earlier this offseason. Facing right-handers, Winker held a .258/.366/.422 slash line. As a result, both players will have limited values in fantasy, given that they will share playing time. However, both could be valuable in deeper NL-only formats, especially in daily lineup leagues.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Jorge Castillo
2 months agoAccording to Anthony DiComo of MLB.com, New York Mets outfielder
Jesse Winker could see time at first base during the 2025 campaign. On a zoom conference, Winker expressed he is "capable" of playing first base when asked. He played first base during a rehab assignment in 2023 and even took ground balls at that position last season. While the Mets have remained in conversation with free agent
Pete Alonso, several reports suggest that the Mets have begun to pivot to alternate options as he is unlikely to return to Queens. One of these alternatives was Winker, who the team signed to a one-year $7.5 million contract last week. Winker opened the 2024 campaign with the Nationals but was shipped to the Mets at the deadline. Across 145 contests, the 31-year-old posted a .253/.360/.405 line with 14 home runs and 14 stolen bases.
Mark Vientos is another option to cover first base, which would open up the hot corner for
Ronny Mauricio,
Luisangel Acuna, or
Brett Baty.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Anthony DiComo
2 months agoFree-agent outfielder
Jesse Winker re-signed with the New York Mets on Thursday on a one-year deal worth $7.5 million. With bonuses, Winker has a chance to make a maximum of $9 million. The 31-year-old veteran left-handed hitter began last season with the Washington Nationals and was acquired by the Mets at the trade deadline. He had a solid year overall, slashing a combined .253/.360/.405 with 14 home runs, 58 RBI, a career-high 14 stolen bases and 63 runs scored in 145 games played. He hit .243/.318/.365 with a .683 OPS, three long balls, 13 RBI and 12 runs scored in 44 regular-season games after joining the Mets. Winker was better in 10 playoff games, sporting a 1.168 OPS and a home run. Winker should see consistent at-bats against right-handers in the outfield and at DH, but he's only hit 20 homers once in eight big-league seasons and probably won't steal double-digit bases in 2025.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: New York Post - Joel Sherman
2 months agoAccording to Andy Martino of SNY, free agent outfielder
Jesse Winker has been linked to the Mets during free agency. Martino noted that a reunion is "very possible." The 31-year-old opened the season with the Washington Nationals but was shipped to Queens during the stretch run. Across 44 regular season games with the Mets, Winker held a .243/.318/.365 and hit five doubles and three home runs. Overall, Winker hit 23 doubles and 14 home runs across 145 games last season. During the postseason, he posted an impressive .318/.351/.636 line across ten games. He showed a strong eye at the plate with a 12.4% walk rate and 19.0% chase rate. Martino noted that Winker would be a target for the Mets if they were unable to bring back
Pete Alonso. If he were to return to Queens, he would likely see time as a designated hitter and occasionally in the outfield.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Andy Martino
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