Mets to acquire veteran outfielder Jesse Winker from Nationals

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David Stearns added to his bullpen on Friday and on Saturday, the Mets general manager is set to acquire a quality bat to improve his teams outfield depth.  The Mets and Nationals were in agreement late Saturday night on a deal to bring outfielder Je se Winker to Queens, . A return was not yet known.  The deal is in the medical phase right now, , so it is not officially done, and the hope is that it will be  Jaylen Hoard Jersey completed soon.  Je se Winker  Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports  On Friday, Stearns landed right-handed reliever Ryne Stanek from the Mariners.  The Mets are believed to still be in search of additional pitching, particularly with the news that ace Kodai Senga will mi s the rest of the regular season with a high-grade calf strain.  Explore More  A free agent-to-be, the 30-year-old Winker is having a strong season, slashing .257/.374/.419 with a .793 OPS.  He likely will split time in right field with Jeff McNeil, be used as a starter against right-handers and as a bat off the bench.  Against righties, Winker has an .834 OPS and 10 home runs in 226 at-bats.  The Mets hoped DJ Stewart would fill that role after performing well late last year, but he has struggled.  Starling Marte last played for the Mets on June 22 and has been on the injured list since with a bone bruise in his right knee. Its uncertain how long it will take for him to return.  In past years, Winker has had a back-and-forth with Mets fans at Citi Field.  It began in 2019 when he was a member of the Reds. In one game, he hit a go-ahead home run and waved to the fans at the end of it.  Later in the series, he made a sliding catch to end the game and again waved.  He also once traded a ball for a fans sign that read Je se Winker youre a straight up bh.  Im going to be honest with you, I love them, Winker said of Mets fans previously. They are an amazing group of people. They are very pa sionate about their team and their city.  Now hes on the same side as Mets fans and Citi Field will be his home for the remainder of the season.  Anfernee Simons Jersey