Former Washington Nationals Slugger Among Most Underrated Free Agents Remaining

A former Washington Nationals hitter can provide whichever team signs him with a lot of value.
Jun 16, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Nationals outfielder Jesse Winker (6) grounds out during the seventh inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Nationals Park.
Jun 16, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Nationals outfielder Jesse Winker (6) grounds out during the seventh inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Nationals Park. / Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images
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The Washington Nationals made some major changes to their roster throughout the 2024 season.

Many of the veterans they had in their lineup entering the campaign did not remain with the team by the time they wrapped up the 71-win campaign.

One of the veterans whom they moved on from was outfielder Jesse Winker.

He signed a one-year deal with the franchise as a free agent during this past offseason for only $2 million. It was excellent value for the Nationals, as he outperformed the contract.

A very strong first half, in which he slashed .257/.374/.419 with 11 home runs and 18 doubles, led to him being traded to the New York Mets in exchange for minor league pitcher Tyler Stuart, who was a sixth-round pick in the 2022 MLB draft.

While Winker’s production wasn’t quite at the same level in the regular season with the Mets, he was one of their better performers in an unexpected run in the playoffs.

New York advanced to the NLCS, where they were defeated by the eventual champion Los Angeles Dodgers. Before that, they defeated the Milwaukee Brewers and Philadelphia Phillies with their deadline acquisition playing a major role.

In 10 postseason games and 32 plate appearances, WInker produced a strong .318/.531/.636 slash line with one home run and two triples. He walked seven times compared to only four strikeouts, providing good at-bats every time he stepped to the plate.

Still a free agent despite those October heroics, David Adler of MLB.com believes he is one of the most underrated players on the market.

“Winker is a patient hitter with good plate discipline. In 2024, he ranked in the 96th percentile of MLB in chase rate (just 19%) and in the 78th percentile in swing-and-miss rate (19.6%). He walks a ton (12.4% walk rate, sixth-highest among qualified hitters) and doesn't strike out very often. And he's an effective platoon bat against right-handed pitching -- Winker had a 124 wRC+ versus righties in 2024 (aka he was 24% better than an average hitter), and he has a 129 wRC+ versus righties for his career.”

He has been incredibly consistent during his time in The Show, which includes stints with the Cincinnati Reds, Seattle Mariners and Brewers before his tour of the National League East began.

Excluding his disastrous stop in Milwaukee, when he was recovering from back and knee surgeries and wasn’t 100% healthy, he has averaged a wRC+ of 110 in every campaign from 2017-2024.

With a career number of 121, he is an excellent piece for a contending team to have on their roster.

If he is playing a platoon role, his numbers are even better as he consistently mashes right-handed pitching.

Washington has addressed their designated hitter needs with Josh Bell, but Winker is someone they could consider bringing back if he remains on the market into Spring Training.

He would provide invaluable experience to a young squad and insurance in the outfield.

Alas, given his playoff performance and track record, he should be able to find more than a mentor/bench role at this stage of his career.


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