Healthy Winker sees opportunity to resurrect career with Nats

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Jesse Winker had played in Washington several times before as a member of the Reds and Mariners. He had played well in D.C., compiling a 1.084 OPS across 34 plate appearances. He had enjoyed touring the city during his downtime. And anyone he ever spoke to about the Nationals offered positive feedback.

So when the opportunity came this week to sign with the Nats, even if it was on a minor-league deal, Winker didn’t have to think twice about saying yes.

“Oh my god, there’s a bunch of talent here. A lot of really good players,” the 30-year-old outfielder said. “It’s a great city. I’ve heard nothing but great things about the coaching staff and everybody involved here. It’s an amazing spot to play. It was very easy to pull the trigger on it.”

Winker said this Friday afternoon shortly after arriving in the Nationals clubhouse for the first time, unpacking his bags and trying on some of his new employer’s gear. He joins a clubhouse full of young players trying to make their own name for themselves in the big leagues, plus a few other veterans he’s crossed paths with over the years.

The minor-league contract offers no guarantees, but the situation is favorable for Winker. The Nats need more experienced hitters, especially from the left side of the plate. Winker is coming off a down year but was an above-average hitter in each of his previous six big-league seasons, earning an All-Star selection as recently as 2021. He would seem to make for a nice platoon partner with Stone Garrett at the DH position.

“We’ve shown here that non-roster players can make the roster here,” general manager Mike Rizzo said. “We’ve proven that reclamation projects can have productive, impactful years and go on from here and get some big contracts in the future. I think our reputation for that was why you’re getting some of these higher-profile guys on non-roster deals. I think they see opportunity here. I think they know our reputation is one of being fair with them and actually fulfilling what we discussed to get them here on a non-roster deal.”

The reason Winker was available on a minor-league contract was an out-of-character, weak showing last season with the Brewers. In 61 games, he batted a mere .199 while slugging a paltry .247. The former number was 65 points below his career average, the latter nearly 200 points off.

What happened? Most notably, Winker dealt with a host of injuries, including ailments to his knee and his neck that each required surgery. He never felt like himself.

“I think the recovery was a little bit harder than I thought it was going to be,” he said. “It took me a little bit longer than I thought, but I think I’m in a really good spot now. For me, that’s all that matters. Obviously, I learned a lot going through those, and I’m happy I did.”

The Nationals did their homework on Winker and came away with reason to believe better health will lead to better results this season.

“We feel like he still has a lot in the tank,” manager Davey Martinez said. “He looks great. He lost a lot of weight. He looks like he’s in great shape. We watched him over the winter; I know (hitting coach) Darnell (Coles) saw him hit. And we feel like his swing is back to where it needs to be. … And if he can hit like he did a couple years ago, we’ve got something special there.”

If it all works out, the Nats will have themselves a much-needed productive hitter who can hold down at least a part-time role, maybe more. If it doesn’t, the cost is minimal.

For Winker, the chance to make the Opening Day roster for a franchise he appreciates in a town he likes was more than worth it, even if nothing is guaranteed.

“It’s an opportunity to play baseball, and that’s something I love doing,” he said. “This is a great spot to be, and I’m excited about it.”