At Mets holiday party, reliever Reed Garrett thrilled about the gift of Juan Soto
SNY analyst Todd Zeile, right, and Mets pitcher Reed Garrett host the Mets' annual Kids Holiday Party at Citi Field on Thursday. Credit: Noah K. Murray
Mets relief pitcher Reed Garrett swapped his typical blue and orange uniform for a less traditional green and red outfit Thursday.
Dressed as an elf at the Mets’ annual Kids Holiday Party at Citi Field, Garrett helped hand out presents to more than 125 elementary school students.
Garrett and the rest of his Mets teammates received a different sort of holiday gift earlier this month in the form of a $765 million teammate often described as a generational talent: Juan Soto.
The rightfielder spurned the Yankees (and others) and decided to spend his next 15 years in Queens, agreeing to terms with the Mets on Dec. 8 and being introduced as a Met last Thursday. Count Garrett among the crowd thrilled that the 26-year-old megastar now is on his side.
“He’s a great player,” Garrett said. “I’m glad we don’t have to pitch to him anymore. I think he’s an anchor for our team and he’s going to be somebody who is — can change the game by himself. And I think he’s just truly an unbelievable talent. I can’t begin to explain like, Steve and Alex [Cohen], with what they’ve done to show that we’re committed to win.
“We took the right steps forward last year, and this year there are going to be a little bit higher expectations. But I think bringing Juan in has showed that we’re ready for it.”
Former Met and current SNY analyst Todd Zeile, who played the role of Santa Claus on Thursday, also was elated.
“It’s one thing to sign a huge free agent,” he said. “It’s another thing to take a guy that had a great year across town in a comfortable environment, in a World Series season, and then extract him and bring him over to this side of town. And I think there’s something about the Mets and the organization and the feeling of family and the commitment to the future that may have been the thing that tipped the scale.
“So I think Mets fans should be excited and I think it’s going to be the start of an interesting era.”
Garrett has never faced Soto, but the two were teammates with the Nationals in 2022.
“I know who he is as a player and what he brings to the clubhouse,” said Garrett, who has yet to talk to Soto since he signed. “He’s awesome. He’s a great guy to have around. He’s somebody that really kind of leads by example and shows guys what it takes to be the best.”
Garrett, who will turn 32 on Jan. 2, is coming off a career season, posting an 8-5 record, a 3.77 ERA and 83 strikeouts in a career-high 57 1⁄3 innings. From a pitcher’s perspective, he dissected what makes Soto special.
“There’s really no holes,” he said. “There’s no swing and misses that you can really find. I think he controls the zone. He executes his plan, and obviously he has the power to change a game with just one swing. So I think that’s what he brings to the table.
“He brings the fact that he’s able to really change the game for us.”
Ben Dickson joined Newsday’s high school sports staff in 2023 after graduating from Maryland, where he covered several of the Terrapins' teams.
