Due to a neck injury, Seattle Mariners starting left fielder Jesse Winker is now done for the year.
Last off-season, the Seattle Mariners dipped into their highly touted farm system to acquire left-handed bat Jesse Winker and slugger Eugenio Suarez from Cincinnati.
When Mariners General Manager Jerry Dipoto made the deal, the Initial reaction was that landing Winker was a great pickup, just what the M’s needed. The struggling Suarez was an afterthought. Hopefully, the M’s could get something out of him.
As it turned out, Suarez was the huge get, and Winker was more of a stinker. The third baseman is having one of the best seasons of his career. And it’s not just all about what he’s doing at the plate. He’s playing really good defense at the hot corner.
Meanwhile, Winker’s defense was just as advertised, below average. Typically, his bat has been able to justify his play on the field. This season he stayed in the lineup despite his poor defense due to all the injuries to Seattle Mariners outfielders.
With Winker in the fold, fans wondered back in April about how M’s manager Scott Servais would juggle so many good outfielders. Someone had to be the odd man out. Who among Kyle Lewis, Mitch Haniger, Winker, Julio Rodriguez, or Jarred Kelenic would become the designated hitter, and who would ride the pine?
As it wound up, the better question was which one of these guys could stay healthy or productive enough to play.
Disappointment
Winker ends his first year in Seattle, producing the worst season of his career. However, he still had a decent season by MLB standards finishing with a wRC+ of 109, or 9% above the league average.
He wasn’t a total wash. He wasn’t anywhere close to the player he was last season with Cincinnati. In 2021, his wRC+ production was 47% better than the league average.
With his move to the IL, the Seattle Mariners recalled Taylor Trammell. The M’s also put Sam Haggerty on the IL with a groin strain earlier this week. Servais’ outfield options for the Wild Card Series are now Haniger, Kelenic, Rodriguez, Adam Frazier, and Dylan Moore.
These recent injuries come at a very unfortunate time. If the M’s advance beyond the Wild Card round, there’s a slight possibility Winker could participate in the ALDS. But probably not until later in the series. Haggerty could be back by the League Championship Series.
For now, Winker is done for the season and will work towards getting ready for spring training. Hopefully, next season Winker’s best contribution will be more than just fighting the Angels that sparked a 14-game win streak for the ball club.
Not that the win streak wasn’t great. It’s that expectations are for Winker to produce at a higher level.
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How do you think Jesse Winker’s absence will affect the Seattle Mariners? Let us know in the comments section below.
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