This trade deadline is playing out much differently for the Mets than last year’s.

The Mets continued buying Sunday, acquiring outfielder Jesse Winker from the Washington Nationals in a trade that adds an established left-handed bat for their postseason push.

Winker is hitting .256 with 11 home runs, 45 RBI and 14 stolen bases and has a .793 OPS. His .373 on-base percentage ranks seventh in the National League.

The Mets activated Winker for Sunday’s series finale against the Atlanta Braves and sent outfielder DJ Stewart to Triple-A Syracuse. Winker did not start the 9-2 loss at Citi Field but struck out as a pinch-hitter in the eighth inning and played left field in the ninth.

“I can’t say enough amazing things about this team,” Winker said before the game. “Having to compete against them has been such a challenge every season, so it’s cool to be in this clubhouse.”

The 30-year-old Winker, who hails from Buffalo, brings some pop to a lineup that had been seeking another lefty hitter.

He also provides depth to an outfield that remains without right fielder Starling Marte, who has been sidelined since June 22 with a bone bruise in his right knee and whose timeline to return is uncertain. Center fielder Harrison Bader, meanwhile, has been out since Tuesday with a sore ankle.

An impending free agent, Winker primarily played left field for Washington this season but boasts experience in all three outfield spots.

“I wouldn’t say [he will be] an everyday player, but he’s gonna play,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “I could see him playing corner outfield, DH, pinch-hit.”

The Mets sent minor-league pitcher Tyler Stuart — their No. 17 prospect, according to MLB Pipeline — to Washington. A sixth-round pick in 2022, the right-handed Stuart went 3-7 with a 3.96 ERA in 17 starts at Double-A Binghamton.

Winker owns a .263 average, a .370 OBP and an .810 OPS over eight MLB seasons and was an All-Star in 2021 with the Cincinnati Reds.

“The way he controls the strike zone, the power, he’s gonna help,” Mendoza said.

Winker arrives with a colorful history with Mets fans, having waved to the Citi Field faithful after making a game-ending catch in 2019, and then again after he hit a game-tying three-run home run in 2022.

“My first couple of full seasons, I was maybe a little on the amateur side and I had some fun, but obviously it’s a passionate fan base, and [I’m] excited to play hard for them,” Winker said.

His addition comes after the Mets traded for reliever Phil Maton on July 10 and fellow bullpen arm Ryne Stanek on Friday.

The Mets fell to 55-50 with Sunday’s loss but remain squarely in the NL wild-card mix.

Their midseason acquisitions come a year after the Mets held a full-blown fire sale, during which they shipped Max Scherzer to Texas and Justin Verlander to Houston before the 2023 deadline.

The Mets appeared destined to be sellers again when they fell a season-worst 11 games below .500 in late May, but thanks to their recent surge, president of baseball operations David Stearns is now bolstering the roster for the stretch run.

Starting pitching became more of a need Friday when ace Kodai Senga, making his 2024 debut after a spring-training shoulder strain, suffered a high-grade calf strain that is expected to end his regular season. On Sunday, the Mets transferred Senga to the 60-day injured list.

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