July 28th, 2024
Jessica Camerato
@jessicacameratoST. LOUIS -- Since 2021, the Nationals have had success with the approach of swapping veteran contributors on expiring contracts at the Trade Deadline.
When outfielder Jesse Winker joined the Nats on a Minor League deal, made the Opening Day roster and put together a turnaround season, he became a top trade candidate.
On Saturday night -- during the Nationals’ 14-3 win over the Cardinals at Busch Stadium -- Winker became involved in a trade to the Mets. The Nats received right-handed pitching prospect Tyler Stuart in the deal, which went official on Sunday morning.
Stuart, who towers over hitters at 6-foot-9, has risen fast through the Mets' system since being drafted in the sixth round in 2022. He is 3-7 with a 3.96 ERA in 17 starts this season for Double-A Binghamton, and he has particularly excelled recently, with a 2.00 ERA in his past 5 outings. Stuart, who entered the season as New York's No. 17 prospect per MLB Pipeline, led Minor League Baseball with a 2.20 ERA last season, mainly for High-A Brooklyn.
“A big-frame kid, he throws strikes, he competes, so he gives us a little bit more depth starting pitching-wise,” manager Dave Martinez said. “... Good slider, good changeup. I’m looking forward to talking to him, meeting him here in the future. Hopefully when we do get him up here in the future, he can get outs for us.”
Winker, an eight-year MLB veteran who turns 31 on Aug. 17, batted .257 with a .793 OPS, 18 doubles, 11 home runs, 45 RBIs and 14 stolen bases in 101 games. That strong production came after he hit .199 in 61 games with the Brewers last season.
“I'm excited,” Winker said. “I'm going to be a part of the great team that's been winning a lot. It's a wonderful opportunity. And then, obviously, I'm extremely thankful for everybody here. The opportunity to come and play and play every day, I'm so thankful for [general manager Mike Rizzo] and [Martinez], and everyone.
“They really took a chance on me, and I feel like I owe them a lot for that. So I'm grateful.”
“His preparation, his routine, he came here to play every day and it showed,” Martinez said. “He did really well for us. I wish him luck -- until he plays us. We’ll miss him. He brings that energy every day. He’s great to be around, great kid, I loved him. We’ll see a lot more of him.
“I thought he had a lot more left in the tank. We know he had injuries. For the most part, he stayed healthy for us and played really well.”
Winker earned the starting job in left field out of Spring Training, which he held until James Wood, ranked as baseball’s No. 2 overall prospect by MLB Pipeline, debuted on July 1. Winker moved to the designated hitter role, where he was hitting in the No. 3 spot on Saturday. Winker, a 2021 All-Star with the Reds, embraced the role of veteran leader with the Nationals.
“It’s going to be tough seeing him go,” Wood said. “He’s kind of a veteran in our locker room, in our lineup. So I think we all kind of lean on him a little bit. It’s tough, but we always wish him the best. Not too much of the best [laughs], obviously, he’s staying in the [NL East] division. But he was great.”
Winker, who was with Cincinnati from 2017-21, has since played for Seattle (‘22), Milwaukee (‘23) and Washington (‘24). He has played 16 games at Citi Field, with a .228 batting average and two homers.
“They’re extremely passionate, extremely loyal to their team,” Winker said of the Mets’ fan base. “I'm a Buffalo Bills fan, so I can relate. I'm excited to just play as hard as I can and help them win.”
The Nationals plan to tab right-hander Harold Ramírez as the designated hitter for the immediate future. When Joey Gallo returns from the injured list (left hamstring strain), that will add a lefty bat back into the lineup. Following the trade, the Nationals recalled outfielder Alex Call from Triple-A on Sunday.
This is Washington’s second move ahead of the Deadline. The Nats traded setup reliever Hunter Harvey to the Royals the night before the MLB Draft on July 13 in exchange for third-base prospect Cayden Wallace and a compensation round pick (No. 39) used to select catcher Caleb Lomavita.
“I've never really gone through an MLB Trade Deadline where I could potentially be involved in it,” Winker said. “Then obviously, once Harvey got traded, I understood that there could be potential I was as well. But you never know, right? There's so many uncertainties in this game. I just tried to keep my head down and work. But it's definitely something that the closer we got to the Deadline, it was starting to become more aware to me that it could happen.
“It wasn't that easy to compartmentalize, but we figured it out. It’s a good learning experience for me to just kind of remember, there's so many things out of our control to just keep going.”
The Nationals face the Mets on Sept. 16, at Citi Field.
“There’s a lot of really good pitchers here,” Winker said of the Nats. “I just hope they take it easy on me.”
