Todd Zeile played Santa Claus, and Reed Garrett, dressed in green and red velvet, was by his side as a helpful elf at Citi Field, where the Mets hosted more than 125 Queens students for their annual Kids Holiday Party.
Of course, Steve and Alex Cohen already have done their best Santa impression this winter in gifting Mets fans Juan Soto.
The surprise, feel-good club that sang its way into fans’ hearts and the NLCS last season is gone.
The Mets have entered the realm of expecting deep runs into October.
“Steve and Alex, with what they’ve done to show that we’re committed to win,” Garrett said Thursday, “I think that we took the right steps forward last year, and this year there’s going to be a little bit higher expectations.
“But I think bringing Juan in, it shows that we’re ready for it.”
Garrett has not faced Soto but has played with him, the two overlapping briefly in Washington in 2022.
The Mets reliever said Soto is a great clubhouse addition who “leads by example.”
He will be a better on-field addition, Soto probably hitting second in the lineup coming off a brilliant season and postseason that brought the Yankees three wins shy of a World Series title.
“He’s a great player. I’m glad we don’t have to pitch to him anymore,” said Garrett, who gave out gifts to the children. “I think he’s an anchor for our team, and he’s going to be somebody who can change a game by himself. And I think he’s just truly an unbelievable talent.”
Garrett has not yet chatted with Soto.
He and most of the rest of the Mets are laying low during the offseason, Garrett bummed that his and David Peterson’s shared fantasy football team has been eliminated from the team’s league.
But he is enjoying an offseason that he has entered as a proven commodity.
Last winter, the righty reliever hung on the Mets’ 40-man roster for the entirety of the offseason, his first time as a major leaguer in which he did not change teams or sign as a free agent.
The Mets believed in an arm that then broke out in 2024, when Garrett finished with a 3.77 ERA and 83 strikeouts in 57 ¹/₃ innings.
A Mets bullpen that has watched Adam Ottavino, Phil Maton, Ryne Stanek, Brooks Raley and Drew Smith hit free agency will be different next season.
Garrett, a four-year major leaguer who did not taste success until last season, will be back with a significant role.
“I finally got to the right place at the right time, and I’m just glad to be here,” said Garrett, who was taking his son to his basketball game in Virginia then chatted with a family in Mets caps. “It’s a little bit different. Some people recognized me out in public this year. I got to kind of get a little bit more used to that, kind of catches you off guard.
“But I’m excited for 2025.”
