3 NY Mets trade candidates to consider if Jesse Winker isn’t close to returning

The New York Mets went into 2025 with the hope that Jesse Winker and Starling Marte could provide them a solid platoon at designated hitter. Marte has held up his end of the bargain, putting up some quality numbers on the year in a part-time role. However, Winker has only appeared in parts of 26 contests this year. He first hit the IL in early May with an oblique injury. He wouldn’t return to the field until early July, but would come to the plate just three times in two games before suffering a back injury.

Winker’s season has been disappointing after he helped the Mets greatly during the playoffs last season. If Winker has to miss another extended period of time, the Mets need to consider making a trade at this year’s deadline. The Mets should target these three as potential Winker replacements.

1) Ryan O’Hearn

Ryan O’Hearn has silently been one of baseball’s most consistently solid batters. After struggling badly with the Kansas City Royals for parts of the first five seasons of his career, O’Hearn was picked up by the Orioles in 2023. After two consecutive seasons with a 117 wRC+, the left-handed hitter made the All-Star game in 2025 and is in the midst of a career season with the stick.

In 352 plate appearances, O’Hearn is batting .284/.375/.452 with a .360 wOBA, and 133 wRC+. He is hitting for solid power, with a dozen home runs and an .168 isolated slugging percentage. O’Hearn is posting a strikeout rate below 20% for the second season in a row at 16.8%. His 11.6% walk rate is the best he has ever put up in a season where he appeared in at least 50 games.

O’Hearn has seen time at both corner outfield positions and first base this year. His outfield defense isn’t anything to write home about, with -3 defensive runs saved and zero outs above average in 137 innings of work. However, he is having an outstanding season with the glove at first. O’Hearn already has +4 DRS and +6 OAA at the position in less than 350 innings. For reference, he only had -6 DRS and +2 OAA in nearly 1000 innings at first base between 2023 and 2024.

O’Hearn is a perfect platoon partner. He demolishes right-handed pitching to the tune of a .869 OPS, .375 wOBA, and 143 wRC+. But he has consistently struggled when it comes to facing left-handed pitching. O’Hearn has just a .630 OPS, .290 wOBA, and 85 wRC+ vs LHP. The O’s have mostly shielded him from facing lefties, with just 61 trips to the plate when a Southpaw is pitching, vs nearly 300 when a righty is on the mound.

While the Orioles have been playing better baseball since late May, their season as a whole has been disappointing, and they are still ten games below .500. O’Hearn is all but certainly going to get traded, given that he is a rental. He would be the best rental option for the Mets to fill in for Winker.