It is forgivable if you’ve somewhat forgotten about Jesse Winker at this point. The last year and a half alone have seen the Cincinnati Reds outfield experience the hyped call-up of Nick Senzel, the blistering emergence of Aristides Aquino, and the big money additions of both Nick Castellanos and Shogo Akiyama, an imposing foursome most clubs would be content with rolling out as their regular rotation. This, of course, has coincided with repeated injuries hitting the cancel button on Winker’s seasons.
Pair that with the thumpers the Reds have compiled in their infield and add-in the star caliber in their starting rotation, and Winker might well be the 12th or 16th Red that would pop into the mind of casual fans.