While most players relax and recharge before another grueling year, Reds outfielder Jesse Winker is filling his schedule during his first full Cincinnati offseason.

Since the Reds drafted him in 2012, Winker has been a visible component of Reds Country. He is always a popular draw at Redsfest, has hit the road on multiple Reds Caravans, made Hot Stove and other radio show appearances and participated in various community and team-related activities throughout his tenure.

But typically when the season ends, Winker spends most of his time at his home in Florida. This year, the 26-year-old decided to immerse himself in the city he plays for and make a difference while doing it.

“It’s been a little cold but it’s been great,” Winker said of his offseason in the Queen City. “I love Cincinnati. It’s a city that will always have a special place in my heart. It’s the team that drafted me, the team I made my big league debut with, and hopefully a team I can spend the rest of my career with. So just getting out in the community and hearing all the positive support from everybody has been a blast.”

One of the places Winker has been a repeat visitor is Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. On Halloween, he attended a party for patients where he took pictures, signed autographs and spoke with kids. A couple weeks later he returned to the hospital and hosted his own pizza party that was sponsored by Reds partners Coca-Cola and LaRosa’s. In addition to signing hats and posing for photos, he served the children pizza and drinks while getting to know them and their families.

“This is something I’ve always wanted to be a part of,” he said. “It’s something that I take a lot of pride in, being a Cincinnati Red. And I’m here for the offseason and I wanted to get out in the community and I just thought it would be a really cool idea to have a pizza party here at the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital.”

Aside from the big luncheon, the Buffalo native has gone out of his way to make separate visits to the hospital and spend time with individual patients to brighten their day.

“My favorite part is always seeing all the kids,” he said. “You never know what’s going on and what kind of impact you can have, but just seeing the kids smile and their families happy, it’s really cool and very eye-opening. So it’s just fun to be a part of.

“Obviously it’s one of the best children’s hospitals in the world and it’s right here in Cincinnati, so it holds a special place in my heart. Anything I can do to come here and put a smile on a kid’s face, it’s what being a baseball player is all about.”

Community outreach has always been a part of Winker’s life which speaks volumes about the outfielder’s upbringing. Winker’s father, Joe, came to town to see his son in action at the pizza party. He watched with tremendous pride as Jesse interacted with all the children and their parents.

“That’s all his mother,” Joe said with a laugh when speaking of his son’s values. “She’s a great woman. But yes, we try to tell all three of our boys to give back. It’s a privilege that comes with the job.”

As baseball is his full-time job and a year-round one at that, Winker began preparing himself for the 2020 season shortly after the 2019 campaign wrapped up. He started working out at the beginning of November doing his standard offseason training while also working with the Reds’ strength coaches. The weight room at the ballpark is getting a makeover, so Winker has made Madeira High School his second home to get himself ready for a healthy and successful 2020 season.

Winker has also been doing baseball activities at the P&G MLB Cincinnati Reds Youth Academy -- but not for himself. The Reds Youth Academy hosts a number of baseball and softball clinics throughout the year for kids in the Greater Cincinnati area. Winker has been a familiar face at the Academy over the years and most recently stopped in last weekend to take part in a two-hour fundamentals clinic that taught batting and outfield skills to over 80 youth baseball players.

“I appreciate that Jesse reached out to us after the season to let us know that he’d be in town more this offseason and that he was eager to spend some time with our student-athletes,” said Charley Frank, Executive Director of the Reds Community Fund. “He interacts easily with the kids, coaches and staff and lends credibility to our efforts. Saturday’s clinic with both Jesse and Cincinnati native Josh Harrison was one of the best turnouts we’ve ever had for a Saturday morning event.”

During the season, it’s not often the Reds have off-days while at home. And if they do, it’s typically used as a much-needed day of rest during a taxing 162-game schedule. While Winker has certainly stayed busy this offseason, he has also made it a priority to take advantage of this opportunity and explore more of the city he plays in.

“Just getting around the city and meeting people, it’s been great. It’s a beautiful city. I love all the food here. My favorite place to eat is Sotto. I also got to go backstage to the zoo with my girlfriend, which was great. We enjoyed that. I’m going to have a date night and go ice skating. I grew up playing hockey so I’m excited about that.”

After getting out of town and spending time with family over the holidays, the baseball activity will ramp up for Winker as he shifts his full attention to the 2020 season. But when he gets back to Cincinnati, it won’t be all business. He fully intends to get back to giving.

“I like coming to Children’s Hospital so I’ll have stuff there, hopefully another pizza party before I leave for Spring Training. And then really anything over at the Reds Youth Academy. Wherever I’m needed or asked to go, I just want to be a part of it. It’s a privilege to wear this uniform and I’m thankful for all the support and all the fans here in Cincinnati.”