NEW YORK (AP) — The resurgent New York Mets strengthened their lineup for a postseason run, obtaining outfielder Jesse Winker from the Washington Nationals for a minor league pitcher in a trade that was finalized Sunday.
Washington acquired 6-foot-9 right-hander Tyler Stuart, who was 3-7 with a 3.96 ERA in 17 starts for Double-A Binghamton this season. The 24-year-old Stuart was selected by New York in the sixth round of the 2022 amateur draft out of Southern Mississippi.
Winker adds a dangerous left-handed bat to a Mets offense that’s been one of the best in baseball over the past two months.
“I can’t say enough amazing things about this team,” he said. “I’m excited to be a part of it.”
Winker figures to start in the outfield against right-handers, giving New York even more punch with right fielder Starling Marte on the injured list since late June because of a bone bruise in his right knee.
“Big move,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “He’s going to get a lot of opportunities, especially against right-handed pitching.”
To make room for Winker on the roster, outfielder DJ Stewart was optioned to Triple-A Syracuse before Sunday’s 9-2 loss to Atlanta. New York (55-50) fell 1 1/2 games behind the Braves for second place in the NL East, but the Mets still hold the league’s final wild card.
Since dropping 10 games behind the Braves on June 2, the Mets are 31-15. Atlanta snapped New York’s five-game winning streak Saturday behind a dominant pitching performance from rookie Spencer Schwellenbach in a 4-0 victory.
“You want to be a part of a playoff race and winning baseball games,” Winker said.
Winker hit .257 with 11 home runs, 45 RBIs and a .793 OPS in 101 games for Washington. He also had 14 stolen bases, 13 more than his previous career high, and ranked eighth in the National League with a .374 on-base percentage.
He learned of the trade Saturday night during the Nationals’ 14-3 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals — although the teams didn’t announce the deal until Sunday morning.
“It was shortly after my third at-bat,” Winker said. “Once I found out I was coming (to New York), I was extremely excited.”
Winker, who turns 31 next month, was an All-Star for Cincinnati in 2021 before a down year with Seattle in 2022 and an injury-wrecked one with Milwaukee in 2023.
He revived his career with the Nationals after signing a minor league contract in February that included an invitation to spring training. He is earning a $2 million salary this season and can become a free agent again after the World Series.
Winker was born in Buffalo, New York, and he’s enjoyed a playful back-and-forth with Mets fans at Citi Field over the years, drawing boos for waving at them following big home runs and a sliding catch to end a game. He moved to Orlando, Florida, at age 7 and played travel baseball with current Mets slugger Pete Alonso and against new teammate Francisco Lindor.
“It was fun,” Winker said of his relationship with the New York fan base. “I think my first couple of full seasons I was maybe a little on the immature side and I had some fun. Obviously, it’s a passionate fan base and I’m excited to play hard for them.”
Winker, who took a 7:30 a.m. flight from St. Louis, was not in the lineup Sunday. He received a nice ovation from the Citi Field crowd before striking out as a pinch hitter in the eighth.
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Mets acquire outfielder Jesse Winker from Nationals for Double-A pitcher Tyler Stuart
Washington Nationals' Jesse Winker hits an RBI single during the third inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals Saturday, July 27, 2024, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
Mets acquire outfielder Jesse Winker from Nationals for Double-A pitcher Tyler Stuart
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Donald Trump's fourth scheduled stop in eight days in Wisconsin is a sign of his increased attention as Republicans fret about the former president's ability to match the Democrats' enthusiasm and turnout machine.
“In the political chatter class, they’re worried," said Brandon Scholz, a retired Republican strategist and longtime political observer in Wisconsin who voted for Trump in 2020 but said he is not voting for Trump or Democratic nominee Kamala Harris this year. “I think Republicans are right to be concerned.”
Trump's latest rally was planned for 2 p.m. Central time Sunday in Juneau in Dodge County, which he won in 2020 with 65% of the vote. Jack Yuds, chairman of the county Republican Party, said support for Trump is stronger in his part of the state than it was in 2016 or 2020. “I can’t keep signs in,” Yuds said. “They want everything he’s got. If it says Trump on it, you can sell it.”
Wisconsin is perennially tight in presidential elections but has gone for the Republicans just once in the past 40 years, when Trump won the state in 2016. A win in November could make it impossible for Harris to take the White House.
Trump won in 2016 over Democrat Hillary Clinton by fewer than 23,000 votes and lost to Democrat Joe Biden in 2020 by just under 21,000 votes.
On Tuesday, Trump made his first-ever visit to Dane County, home to the liberal capital city of Madison, in an effort to turn out the Republican vote even in the state's Democratic strongholds. Dane is Wisconsin’s second most-populous and fastest-growing county; Biden received more than 75% of the vote four years ago.
“To win statewide you’ve got to have a 72-county strategy,” former Gov. Scott Walker, a Republican, said at that event.
Trump’s campaign and outside groups supporting his candidacy have outspent Harris and her allies on advertising in Wisconsin, $35 million to $31 million, since she became a candidate on July 23, according to the media-tracking firm AdImpact.
Harris and outside groups supporting her candidacy had more advertising time reserved in Wisconsin from Oct. 1 through Nov. 5, more than $25 million compared with $20 million for Trump and his allies.
The Harris campaign has 50 offices across 43 counties with more than 250 staff in Wisconsin, said her spokesperson Timothy White. The Trump campaign said it has 40 offices in the state and dozens of staff.
Harris rallied supporters in Madison in September at an even that drew more than 10,000 people. On Thursday, she made an appeal to moderate and disgruntled conservatives by holding an event in Ripon, the birthplace of the Republican Party, along with former U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming, one of Trump’s most prominent Republican antagonists.
Harris and Trump are focusing on Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania, the “blue wall” states that went for Trump in 2016 and flipped to Biden in the next election.
While Trump’s campaign is bullish on its chances in Pennsylvania as well as Sunbelt states, Wisconsin is seen as more of a challenge.
“Wisconsin, tough state,” said Trump campaign senior adviser Chris LaCivita, who worked on Republican Sen. Ron Johnson’s winning reelection campaign in 2022.
“I mean, look, that’s going to be a very tight — very, very tight, all the way to the end. But where we are organizationally now, comparative to where we were organizationally four years ago, I mean, it’s completely different,” LaCivita said.
He also cited Michigan as more of a challenge. “But again, these are states that Biden won and carried and so they’re going to be brawls all the way until the end and we’re not ceding any of that ground.”
The candidates are about even in Wisconsin, based on a series of polls that have shown little movement since Biden dropped out in late July. Those same polls also show high enthusiasm among both parties.
Mark Graul, who ran then-President George W. Bush’s 2004 campaign in Wisconsin, said the number of campaign visits speaks to Wisconsin’s decisive election role.
The key for both sides, he said, is persuading infrequent voters to turn out.
“Much more important, in my opinion, than rallies,” Graul said.
Associated Press writers Thomas Beaumont in Des Moines, Iowa, and Jill Colvin in Butler, Pennsylvania, contributed to this report.
Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump arrives at a campaign event at Dane Manufacturing, Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024, in Waunakee, Wis. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign event at Dane Manufacturing, Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024, in Waunakee, Wis. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump arrives for a campaign event Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024, in Prairie du Chien, Wis. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)
