A Mets free agent replacement for Jesse Winker became available again

Jesse Winker had such an impressive postseason for the New York Mets, many forget how bad he was in September. J.D. Martinez’s slump made headlines. However, Winker wasn’t much better. Remove his grand slam and he had as equally of an absent month.

Winker was still able to become a fan favorite because of his red hot October. He was the most consistent hitter throughout the postseason. Bringing him back in a similar role as a DH and occasional corner outfielder is on the table.

What if the Mets want to go in a different direction? One option just became available because he chose to opt out of his portion of a $14 million deal.

Joc Pederson is a player who can give the Mets the same Jesse Winker vibes with a more consistent resume

A lifelong member of the National League, Joc Pederson decided one year with the Arizona Diamondbacks was enough—or maybe he believes he can make more money. Whatever went into his decision, Pederson profiles very similarly to Winker.

If you haven’t kept tabs on Pederson, there are a few important changes to his career. He came up with the Los Angeles Dodgers as a center fielder with power, patience, and a poor batting average. Strangely, this wasn’t the kind of output he had in 2024 with Arizona.

Pederson batted .275/.393/.515 in his 449 plate appearances with 23 home runs and 64 RBI. The output was similar to what he accomplished as an All-Star in 2022 as a member of the San Francisco Giants. In 433 trips to the plate, he slashed .274/.353/.521 with 23 home runs and 70 RBI.

Sandwiched between those two years was a lesser performance albeit not one to cause too much concern. The move from San Francisco to Arizona seemed to improve his power numbers. Aiding the production uptick was how Pederson is now essentially one of the dreaded left-handed hitter DHs we grew sick of seeing during the 2023 tenure of Daniel Vogelbach.

Pederson didn’t play the field at all for the Diamondbacks last year. Never a terrific fielder and a decreasing effective one for several years, the one big knock against any pursuit is how Pederson will be destined to be nothing more than a left-handed half of a DH platoon. When paired up with Starling Marte as the DH platoon with sprinkles of others as well, it’s not such an unappealing plan.

The numbers from last season for Pederson against righties included a .281/.392/.531 slash line. He strangely still managed to piece together a .405 OBP against left-handed pitchers. A league-high 18 hit by pitches (3 against southpaws) had something to do with his on-base prowess. Pederson wasn’t solely productive because he played regularly at Chase Field. He hit .274/372/.520 at home and .276/.411/.510 on the road. Extra games at Coors Field? Pederson hit only .143/.200/.143 in 15 plate appearances in Denver.

When it comes to personality and attitude, Winker and Pederson are a lot alike. Known as high-energy guys, any sort of choice between the two will have something to do with the other aspects of their game. Winker is more versatile athletically. It’s still tough to ignore how poorly he played in 2023 as a member of the Milwaukee Brewers. His ability to play the field albeit not very well does give him something Pederson cannot offer the Mets.

Pederson might be looking for something a tad too expensive for what the Mets would be willing to give a part-time player. But if it’s a player like Winker the Mets want, he’s about as close as it could get.