Je se Winker is eager to switch sides from to potential hero. He sure seems thrilled to be a Met and get to play for the fans who have booed him through the years. Once I found out I was coming here I was extremely excited. Its such a great team, and theyve been playing so well, the Mets new outfielder said on Sunday, . Ive been in the opposing dugout. Im excited to be a part of it. Jeese Winker celebrates a home run against the Mets as a member of the Reds on April 29, 2019. Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post Winker has had a back-and-forth with Mets fans in recent years. 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. Explore More He also once traded a ball for a fans sign that read, Je se Winker youre a straight up b-tch. But he had fun with it, saying he loved the pa sion of Mets fans. Now he will get to experience the other side of it. I think we squashed our little thing a couple of years ago. Itll be cool, Winker said before the Mets closed out their four-game series with the Braves with a LiAngelo Ball Jersey 9-2 lo s. I just want to play hard for them and do whatever I can to help the team win. He added: My first couple of full seasons maybe I was a little on the immature side. I had some fun. But obviously its a pa sionate fan base. The Mets traded for the left-handed hitting outfielder late Saturday night, sending Double-A pitching prospect Tyler Stuart to the Nationals. Winker, 30, caught an early flight out of St. Louis to arrive in time to be activated. He is an upgrade for an already strong lineup, a needed depth piece that provides patience and pop. Je se Winker became a Mets villain in 2019. Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post The expectation is he will start against right-handers Winker is slashing .266/.390/.450 against righties with an .840 OPS and 10 home runs in 229 at-bats and come off the bench against lefties. He replaces the struggling DJ Stewart, who was optioned to Triple-A Syracuse before Sundays game. He will also allow the Mets to rest their regulars more often. Delivering insights on all things Amazins Sign up for Inside the Mets by Mike Puma, exclusively on Sports+ Thank you By clicking above you agree to the and . Enjoy this Post Sports+ exclusive newsletter! I wouldnt say an every-day player, but hes going to play, manager Carlos Mendoza said. I could see him playing corner outfield, DH, pinch hit. Hes going to get a lot of opportunities, especially against right-handed pitching. Hell be in there a lot. Winker is very familiar with several Mets players. He grew up playing travel ball with and against both Francisco Lindor and Pete Alonso, and is friends with J.D. Martinez. When Alonso saw him in the clubhouse, the slugging first baseman pumped his fist and gave him a big hug. Winker gained 6 / games in the standings in the trade, and has a chance to reach the postseason for the third time in his eight-year career. Its what you play for. You want to be a part of a playoff race and winning baseball games, he said. Its what you always wanted since you started playing this game. Louis King Jersey