Josh Winckowski was a member of the Mets less than two weeks before being replaced for the second time this winter.
The right-handed player, who was acquired by the Toronto Mets in the January 27 Steven Matz deal, was dispatched to Boston 13 days later in a three-team deal that sent Andrew Benintendi to Kansas City and cleared the field for prospect Mets Khalil Lee.
Winckowski said he was playing video games with former teammates in the minor league at Blue Jays when he learned he had been treated again.
“I was in the middle of the game and I could feel my phone buzzing on my desk,” Winckowski told WEEI in Boston. “He later became involved in the game and became quite intense, but I handed him over and received two calls from my agent, a voicemail and some friends who wrote to me, ‘What’s going on?’ ”
“I tell myself,” I think something crazy is going on. Can we finish this game? So we come in as third, and I’m finally wondering with my agent, and he’s definitely saying, “You’ve been changed to the Red Sox.” I call myself “Never.” I mean, I’ve been a Met for a week and a half. It was so surprising. You always know it’s a possibility, but … it was really surprising. I expected to play a little for the Mets, at least. ”
Winckowski, 22, grew up in the Fort Myers area, where the Red Sox train. He received an invitation to the spring training sessions of the major league for the first time in his career.
“Jay, I really didn’t think I would ever be traded,” Winckowski said. “Jays’ initial transaction was super surprising. So the Mets change for me and you have 20-25 calls and just try to accommodate and describe yourself a whole bunch. ”
The Mets then moved Winckowski and a player to be named later to land 22-year-old Lee, who was rated as prospect no. The center fielder stole 53 bases in 2019 at Double-A Northwest Arkansas, with a .264 / .363 / .374 slash.