SAN FRANCISCO — When Gregory Soto faced the Mets right before the All-Star break in Baltimore, he was hoping his opposition would take note of him. The left-handed reliever pitched 2/3 of an inning intentionally walking one, and threw one inning with a strikeout two days later.
“When we faced them over there, I was a little bit more motivated to kind of show them what I was capable of doing so they could kind of see what I was able to do,” Soto said this weekend at Oracle Park through a team translator.
The Mets traded for him Thursday night, sending two minor league pitchers back to Baltimore in the first trade deadline deal of the month. Soto arrived in San Francisco to meet his new team Saturday and was activated Sunday morning, with the club designating left-hander Jose Castillo for assignment in a corresponding transaction.
“The way that they play the game, the culture that they have here — a lot of Latinos here as well — you just want to be here,” Soto said. “This is a team that wants to win, and I want to win a championship.”
Soto has contended for championships the last few seasons with the Orioles and Philadelphia Phillies. After being named to back-to-back All-Star teams with the Detroit Tigers in 2021 and 2022, the veteran lefty was traded to the Phillies a few months after the Mets’ NL East rivals made their World Series run in 2023.
Last year, he was involved in a trade between two contenders, which isn’t something that typically happens this time of year, but with the market the way it was for relief pitching and with the Phillies having arms to spare, they sent him to Baltimore for two high-level pitching prospects. It wasn’t a surprise since the two parties had already discussed a trade.
In six playoff appearances between Philadelphia and Baltimore, Soto has posted a 4.91 ERA (two earned runs, five hits, three walks, four strikeouts in 3 2/3 innings).
“That was something I expected at that point,” Soto said. “We had already had conversations with [the Phillies] about a potential trade, but I felt good about [that experience]. I felt like I was able to take away a good experience.”
He’s hoping his half-season with the Mets is an even better experience. Already, he’s familiar with some members of the team and is excited to be a part of a bullpen anchored by closer Edwin Diaz. Soto wants to contribute and make an impact, and the Mets think he can do that with his ability to get left-handed and right-handed hitters out.
Soto has held lefties to a .138 average this season. Righties have hit .276 off of him, with none hitting a home run. With the additions of Soto and Brooks Raley, the Mets now have two high-leverage left-handers in the bullpen, giving manager Carlos Mendoza the ability to deploy them in different innings against key parts of the lineup.
In 45 appearances with the Orioles this season, Soto has gone 0-2 with a 3.96 ERA. The focus for Soto will be attacking the zone. A hard thrower, he gets into trouble when he fails to throw strikes, but when he throws it in the zone, he’s tough to hit. Scouts told the Daily News the trade is fair for what each team gave up, and overall, it’s a positive addition for the Mets.
Everyone seems to have gotten what they wanted out of the deal, especially the 30-year-old Dominican reliever.
“We all read the news and I knew that the Mets were looking for a left-handed reliever,” Soto said. “So when I read that news, I was a little bit more motivated and more excited to show what I was capable of.”
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