Jesse Winker wanted to be back with the Mets.
The eight-year MLB veteran made as much clear following last year’s three-month stint with the team, which included an improbable run to Game 6 of the NLCS.
“Everything baseball-wise was probably the most fun I’ve had,” Winker said Wednesday. “Being a part of something bigger than yourself is really why you play this game, and the whole experience was incredible. It’s kind of addicting. You want it to happen again and again, so from the outset of the offseason, I was wanting to come back.”
The Mets made that dream a reality last week, re-signing the lefty-swinging Winker to a one-year, $8 million contract.
Winker, 31, said he expects to fill a “very similar” role to the one he played last year for the Mets, who alternated him between right field, left field and designated hitter after acquiring him in a late-July trade with the Washington Nationals.
But Winker confirmed Wednesday that he is “definitely comfortable” playing first base, too.
“Whatever’s asked of me, I’ll be ready and I’ll put my best foot forward and give it everything I have,” Winker said.
The Mets, of course, have a vacancy at first base amid Pete Alonso’s prolonged free agency. The sides have been at an impasse all offseason, with the Mets’ reported offer of three years in the $70 million range believed to be far from what Alonso’s camp is seeking.
Winker has never appeared at first base in an MLB game, but he said he started learning the position two years ago during a rehab assignment to enhance his defensive flexibility.
He said he discussed first base with the Mets “a little bit” last year.
“I think I may have even taken ground balls there at some point,” Winker said. “I forget where we were. Maybe Arizona? Just kind of showing that I could work there. But whatever role is asked of me, I’ll do it to the best of my ability.”
Winker hit .243 with three home runs, 13 RBI and a .683 OPS in 129 plate appearances with the Mets last regular season. He heated up during the playoffs, hitting .318 with a home run, four RBI and a 1.168 OPS in 32 postseason plate appearances.
The Mets regularly used Winker in the middle of their batting order, primarily deploying his left-handed bat against right-handed pitching.
Their lineup is set to look much different this season, with Juan Soto anchoring the offense after signing a record-setting 15-year, $765 million contract in December.
“This guy’s one of the best hitters in baseball, if not the best hitter in baseball,” Winker said. “Him being left-handed is really cool for me, personally, just to be able to watch him go about his daily work and his day-in and day-out approach.”
A native of Buffalo, N.Y., Winker spent his first five MLB seasons with the Cincinnati Reds, with whom he earned his lone All-Star selection in 2021. He also played for the Seattle Mariners and Milwaukee Brewers before joining the Nationals ahead of the 2024 season.
Winker arrived in Queens last summer with a colorful history with Mets fans, having waved to the Citi Field crowd after a game-ending catch in 2019, and then again after a game-tying three-run home run in 2022.
But Winker quickly emerged as a fan favorite who wears his emotions on his sleeve. His second-deck home run in an NLDS Game 3 win over the Philadelphia Phillies served as a highlight of the Mets’ playoff run.
His contract talks with the Mets began to pick up after Christmas, he said.
“Any time you come that close to getting to the World Series, you’re always gonna want to give it another shot,” Winker said. “You’re always gonna be thinking about that, and you never know how close you’re going to be again, so it’s precious. I’m just excited to be here.”