The Nationals have signed Jesse Winker to a minor league deal with an invite to Spring Training, reports Andrew Golden of The Washington Post. Winker is represented by Excel Sports Management.
Winker, 30, is not too far removed from being one of the better hitters in the league but he’s fallen on hard times recently as injuries have seemingly held him back. With the Reds from 2017 to 2021, he walked in 12% of his plate appearances while only going down on strikes 16.5% of the time. His .288/.385/.504 slash line in that time translates to a wRC+ of 132, indicating he was 32% better than league average in that five-year stretch. Among players with at least 1500 plate appearances over those years, only 24 had a higher wRC+.
The left-handed hitter has fallen on harder times over the past couple seasons. Cincinnati traded Winker to the Mariners going into 2022. He slumped to a .219/.344/.344 line over 547 plate appearances. Seattle flipped him to Milwaukee last winter in a challenge trade that brought in Kolten Wong. The deal didn’t work for either team. Wong struggled badly enough that Seattle released him midseason.
Winker held his spot on the Milwaukee roster all year but didn’t fare much better. He ran a career-worst .199/.320/.247 line with only one home run in 197 plate appearances. He didn’t appear in the majors again after being placed on the injured list with back spasms in late July.
Washington doesn’t have a clear option at designated hitter, making this a decent landing spot for Winker on a rebound deal. The Nats signed Joey Gallo to join Lane Thomas in the corner outfield. Stone Garrett looks like a solid right-handed complementary bat, while Winker could push for a role against righty pitching.
he needs to retire
Poster boy for disappointment. Would make a great magician as next career – dude just disappeared.
His time here in Seattle proved one thing, he’s an odd duck. Of course, if you can hit, you can be the oddest of ducks.. If not, see you later oddball. Oh, terrible outfielder to boot.
… he’s 30
And hits and runs like he’s 50
If he has any motivation/health and skill left he should try to earn MLB $ and qualify for a MLB pension. He can always transition to a “regular’ job in a few years depending on his interests and skills. He also could investigate a minor league coaching role. Hopefully his lack of results is not due to self destructive personal habits and focus/discipline issues that prevents him from having a healthier body even at a young age. he best year I believe was with the Reds. It seemed odd that they traded him so soon.
Hopefully he can put 350 productive ABs together. His confidence may be suffering also. Good Luck
@YaGottaBelieveAgain
High school guidance counselor?
Does anyone else envision him with the Savanna Bananas?
I don’t mean that as an insult. I can seriously see him joining them.
Winker is a wanker.
Man, I thought this guy was going to be a perennial All Star. It’s really strange that the ban on the shift didn’t seem to help him. Actually it seemed to hurt him. Weird.
It’s like he lost all his strength over the last two years. In 2020-2021, he had like a 91 MPH exit velocity. Last two years he is at 87.5 MPH. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a player have such a large dip in EV without a career altering injury (something that would cause him to miss one or more whole seasons) in such a short amount of time, especially considering he is only 30.
In ‘22 Mariners reporters were skeptical of his work ethic and claimed that it was a turn off for the rest of the team. We had a squad notorious for “going the extra mile” to workout and take care of themselves. I don’t think he was in on that. I read this more than a couple times.
A one hit Winker
Good. Now sign Trevor.
That’s enough, Kentucky.
I agree. Trevor Hoffman deserves a shot to overtake Rivera on the all-time saves list. Nationals- make this man your closer!
Bauer.
Go suck his nuts some more, Kentucky.
That’s a hockey equipment company.
They’ve already got a Trevor and one is plenty.
I’ve met cats and dogs smarter than Corey and Trevor
Smokes, let’s go!
win, win
Another ex Red in Washington.
Don’t worry he will Join all the other ex-nationals in Philly. either at the trade deadline or they will release him.
Just one of many low cost moves that might pay off at tge trade deadline. Otherwise, a minors move that won’t derail the Nats from fielding a great crew of stud youngsters, developing them and breaking into the playoffs once again. ETA. 2025
I like what nats are doing ! Lots of good small strategic moves. They missed big time not taking Wyatt lankford thou and wood is no where near a top 20 prospect.
Yes, Crews looks good but I also believe Langford will be better.
He’s cooked. No bat speed. Can’t catch up to fastballs or drive the ball whatsoever. Was easily in the running for least favorite Brewer last year for most fans up here. It was hard to watch.
Guy is a head case the only place he wants to be is in Cincinnati. The only thing he did with Milwaukee was he had a game winning hit against Cincinnati and he wouldn’t even celebrate. Acted like he was going to start crying because he did it.
He will hit .175 but win 5 games vs. the Mets single-handedly.
What a fall from grace since leaving Reds country.
So after Garrett and Winker what former overrated Red signs a minor league contract Wil Myer? Mike Moustakas? Chase Anderson? God forbid Jonny Cueto or Joey Votto (neither overrated)
Votto is overrated?…Votto is not Overrated Votto is just 40 yrs old now
Read it again. More slowly this time.
I find it amusing that you are calling former Reds overrated but won’t admit some current Reds are overrated while defending your boy’s inaction.
But you always try to make him look good even as fans, media, and even some writers on this site criticize him for no quality top of the line starting pitching move.
Pray tell O’ wise one which current Reds are overrated? Are they overrated to the point that they should be signed only to minor league contracts? I said 2 former Reds were overrated Winker and Garrett. Winker never was a competent ML defender or baserunner and was never much above average vs LHP. Garrett had the stuff, but not the mental control to remain a highleverage reliever.. I suggest Myers and Moustakas were overrated. They both had success at the ML level and perhaps “overrated” wasn’t a great choice of words- vastly over paid by the Reds fits well though.
As for Krall, he doesn’t need me to make him look good. Any objective fans , media, etc. can clearly see that he has outperformed previos Reds GMs since at least Krivsky and probably longer than that. As for no quality top of the line sp moves, Krall has approached the problem in the only rational way a small market team with limited resources and a small ballpark can. He drafted Abbott, traded for Williamson, Petty, & Phillips all in ’22. Then drafted Lawler last year. Add those to Greene, Lodolo, Ashcraft, and FA Montas- Krall has a plan- just takes time.
He was one of my favorite players a few years ago. Hopefully he can get back to being decent even if he doesn’t make it back to being an all star.
“He didn’t appear in the majors again after being placed on the injured list with back spasms in late July.”
Oh, if this were only true. A completely checked out Craig Counsell, gave him not one but two big ph chances in the wild card series after not having seen live MLB pitching for 74 days and putting up a .567 OPS when he had. Counsell was at his absolute worst that series. Even Winker looked surprised.
I know he’s got a most good record as a manager but his face that looks like he’s ten years old always gives off Little Big League vibes. Idk maybe it’s just me haha
It’s not just you. Counsell’s mom often sent the post-game snack and juice boxes, sometimes even Scotcharoos. That alone makes every Cubs penny worth it
While he didn’t appear in any regular season games towards the end, the Brewers inexplicably put him on the post-season roster…and then even more inexplicably had two pinch hit appearances in the losses vs the D;Backs. He explicably was retired in both at bats.
I was crying for Garrett Mitchell so hard for both of those ABs
I thought this website was called MLBTR not MiLBTR
Man I was so mad when the Reds traded him. He had done nothing but hit his entire life leading up to the trade and then boom – just done.
So wild.
I find it interesting that he said he signed with the Nats for a chance to play closer to home. He lives in Florida. Does that mean the Marlins or Rays were not willing to give him a shot on a minor league deal?
Could be he’s not yet looking beyond the spring invite.
There’s nothing wrong with this move for the Nats. But I don’t expect him to turn it around. I really, really thought the Brewers made a great buy low move last year. But obviously I was wrong. He showed nothing. Not a glimpse of his former self. I thinks he’s done.
Assuming it is a very low cost deal he is just the type of gamble that could net them a nice prospect if he finds old self or gets dumped for no lose.
Crazy how toxic some of these comments are. Dude has a career 118 OPS+ (even with last year) and really only has one really bad season. Dude could easily rebound with a change of environment. And if not, well he hit better than about 70% of the league during his tenure.
It’s always what have you done lately. No one takes into account injuries and the fact these are human beings with interactions (good or bad) and not video game or fantasy league players.
No, don’t you know that players intentionallly play badly just to anger some fans?
Every clubhouse needs at least one malcontent.
Good pickup for a non-contending team, if he comes around great it’s not like they have anything to lose
I wouldn’t bet on it, but I would not be surprised by a solid bounceback this coming season. He’s now a full year removed from neck surgery and has had time to establish whatever new training routine he has implemented as a result.
Best case scenario he’s a decent bench bat and fills the role the Nats hoped Corey Dickerson would fill last season. Worst case he ends up like Dickerson and released after the trade deadline
Man it wasn’t long ago that I was clamoring for the Tigers to trade for this guy! He absolutely RAKED for the Reds! Guess I didn’t realize how much he had fallen off.
Risk reward. May be a great signing to
With all the talk about the reds needing outfield options, I’m surprised they didn’t bring winker back on a minors deal. He left Cincinnati as an all star. Would have been worth looking at whether a return would have helped him and the reds.
“Not too far removed from being one of the better hitters in the league.” What a joke! He has never been one of the better hitters.
Winker goes aiiieee, I used to be the Fonz before I managed Waterboy now I sell colonial penn life insurance
Hopefully Winker is a typo for Winner and not Wanker