Mets take another hit as Pete Alonso leaves town for Baltimore
USA TODAY Sports’ Gabe Lux explains the Orioles’ acquisition of Pete Alonso and what it means for the Mets going forward.
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BALTIMORE – Perhaps the baseball world is still in shock over Pete Alonso’s move from the New York Mets (Major League Baseball’s biggest market and richest team) to a franchise that pays players less than $25 million a year and a city known for its bravado and long-standing underdog status.
But from the moment Alonso’s No. 25 Baltimore Orioles jersey was draped over his shoulder during Charm City’s introduction on Dec. 12, it suddenly became more meaningful.
The Mets’ home run title was an afterthought during this high-stakes winter, likely identified as part of the change that had to occur after four months of team-wide collapse.
He was a savior in Baltimore, agreeing to a five-year, $155 million contract, the highest-paid player in club history.
“I’ve gotten hundreds of emails from people telling me how great this is,” said Orioles owner David Rubenstein, 76, a son of Baltimore. “I cannot overstate how excited Baltimore is about this.
“I’ve had people email me since sixth grade that I don’t even remember. I’m really happy for Baltimore and Pete and his family.”
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In New York, Alonso had to virtually beg for a job over the past two winters, but his first foray into free agency resulted in him signing a short-term deal with an opt-out in February after not getting enough offers, but the team had no real intention to keep him, at least until a summit with owner Steve Cohen just before spring training.
In Baltimore, billboards along I-95 and on Russell Street advertise the most significant free agent signing in franchise history. Polar Pete is here!
And Alonso, the guy who is very likely to make it halfway to Cooperstown, is drawing comparisons to another Hall of Famer, Frank Robinson, rather than trying to compete for the scraps left in the team’s bank account by $765 million man Juan Soto. He was traded from Cincinnati to Baltimore before the 1966 season, before the young Orioles suffered a stunning loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series.
Pressure? Heck, it might be crazy that Rubenstein, who was in high school when the Orioles won it all, wouldn’t pay Alonso $31 million over five seasons to avoid comparisons.
“Frank Robinson wore No. 20 when he played in Cincinnati. Pete Alonso wore No. 20 in New York,” Rubenstein said. “Both are 30 years old, great power hitters, and have the ability to work with younger hitters.
“We are very optimistic that the addition of Pete will be as helpful to us as the addition of Frank Robinson in 1966.”
Yes, even if he doesn’t succeed like in New York, these are the expectations Alonso will face because of the heavy media presence and the stakes constantly raised by hedge fund mogul Cohen.
But what kind of destination is Citi Field now that the Mets made the very conscious choice to ghost Alonso, walk closer Edwin Diaz to the World Series champion Dodgers, and trade Brandon Nimmo?
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Of course, there is time for the Mets to bounce back this winter. But it was shocking to see a black and orange fiesta celebrating Alonso’s arrival in the shadows of Eutaw Street, a few miles from Queens in the Acela.
This is the culmination of something of an 18-month gut punch for Alonso, who has had several life changes since the moment the 2024 Mets lost Game 6 of the NL CS to the Dodgers. His home was flooded by Hurricane Helen, his first stint as a free agent was when he crawled to the Mets for $54 million guaranteed and the all-important opt-out, and he and his wife, Haley, welcomed their first child, Teddy.
Is your spin cycle rough? That’s true, but I don’t think Alonso is as emotional about parting ways with the pros as Mets fans.
He’s super excited.
“It’s funny because every offseason, you step into free agency and you’re like, ‘Okay, let’s see what happens.’ No matter what unfolds, you have to make the most of the situation,” he says. “Last year, we still felt like we were in a great place, but this year, ultimately, this has been a really tremendous process.
“The way it happened, it was perfect. It was absolutely perfect. I wouldn’t change anything for the world. I can’t express enough gratitude and gratitude for this situation, but I’d like to hit the fast forward button by the time spring training starts in February.”
“This season is going to be great. Not just this season, but for as long as I’ve been here.”
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Scott Boras is a player who usually handles the attack.
Baseball’s most successful agent is famous for using binders and PowerPoints to promote talented free agents, giving clubs the level of dignity that only he can provide.
But the Orioles turned the tables when Alonso drove from his home in Tampa to Orlando and Boras and his staff ushered him through a service elevator to the suite level for this week’s winter meetings.
An aggressive charm, if you let it.
Secret weapon? Newly hired manager Craig Albanaz captivated Boras and Alonso with his passion and vision for how the clubhouse would be run and what was expected under his guidance. All delivered in Albanas’ mile-per-minute southern Massachusetts dialect.
After the meeting, Boras pulled Orioles team president Mike Elias aside and simply said, “Something happened here. I’ve been to many of these meetings, and something happened here.”
“He’s done a great job of making somebody in the room understand what it’s going to be like if they play here. That’s a very difficult thing to do, but it says a lot about communication skills. Where the players and the organization feel like we’re going to be able to execute and be on our way to greatness.”
“I admire the new coach and his ability in this situation. I think that says a lot about what’s going to happen here.”
Albanaz explained his baseball philosophy for Alonso, which stems from stints in Tampa Bay, San Francisco and Cleveland, where he finished second to two-time Manager of the Year Steven Vogt in the Guardians’ dugout.
In the dead of winter, in a dreary hotel suite, this was a hot topic.
“Craig has done an incredible job outlining not only his managerial style, but his overall baseball philosophy,” Alonso says. “He’s going to be the guy (guiding) the ship. He’s got a general passion and appetite for the game and I’m very excited.”
“As time goes on, we’ll get closer to each other, and by the regular season everyone will want to get over each other’s walls.”
That’s where Alonso comes in. The Orioles won 101 games in 2023 and qualified for the playoffs in 2024. But a season and a half of collective setbacks culminated in coach Brandon Hyde being fired in May midway through a 75-87 season.
Through it all, Adley Rutschman and Gunnar Henderson, Jordan Westberg and Jackson Holiday felt a lack of leadership, or at least an inability to make up for it.
Three of them have Boras backpacks hidden in their lockers. And when rumors of signing Alonso spread, his agent’s phone calls exploded, especially considering the franchise’s aversion to huge contracts.
“I got calls from Jackson, Gunnar and Westy after this game, and it just goes to show how the guys in the locker room feel about their commitment to how they compete in one of the toughest divisions in baseball. That comes through naturally,” Boras said. “The moment it’s completed, there’s an instant impact. It’s exciting. It gives them pride and confidence and shows the dedication this series has.”
Alonso, who debuted in 2019, played several eras with the Mets, many of which were dysfunctional. But since signing Francisco Lindor in 2021, Alonso has been speaking out, which probably wasn’t the case. of The voices were raised in the Mets’ clubhouse, where veterans like Max Scherzer, Starling Marte and Jesse Winker come and go.
Alonso, 31, is now a senior player in the clubhouse. And his all-out play mentality, having played in all 162 games over the past two seasons, already lends a level of credibility.
Alonso believes he can make a difference by converting some of that stock into cash.
“There’s a lot of talent. There’s a lot of young talent,” he says. “And I feel like I can help this team achieve greatness. I want to be open to everyone in the clubhouse. I’m proud of that.”
“Not only do I love performing, but ultimately I love building great relationships and being a great teammate, and I love helping out in any way I can.
“We are doing our best.”
“I’m definitely going to destroy this place.”
Alonso probably doesn’t need to fast forward too much. Spring training begins in two months. In a way, he feels like he already has the keys to the castle. In their sales pitch, the Orioles offered what he called a “total blueprint.”
Spent $500 million to renovate Camden Yards. Major upgrades will be made to the spring training facility in Sarasota, about an hour from Alonso’s Tampa home. And most importantly, how his big bat fits into their lineup and ballpark.
That part may be the most fascinating. Alonso has hit at least 40 home runs in three of his six full seasons with the Mets, and his 264 career home runs since 2019 trails only Aaron Judge (285) and Kyle Schwarber (268).
Like Schwarber, he seems to get better with age. Alonso credited his 38 home runs, 80 extra-base hits, and .871 OPS in the 2025 All-Star Game as allowing him to “dig deeper” into his performance last offseason, including biometrics and foraying into how his body moves best.
It’s not hard to imagine the Baltimore faithful taking an instant liking to him. A conversation with former manager Buck Showalter, who captained the Mets and Orioles from 2010 to 2018, solidified that feeling.
“He said this is definitely a thorough baseball environment,” Alonso said of Showalter. “He said, ‘Pete, you’re definitely going to destroy this place.’
“Buck is one of my all-time favorites and he has nothing but good things to say.”
Alonso is already crushing New York. He hit 53 home runs as a rookie in 2019 and became a crowd favorite after hitting one of the most dramatic home runs in recent franchise history, the game-winning home run in the ninth inning over current Mets closer Devin Williams in Game 3 of the 2024 Wild Card Series in Milwaukee.
He added occasional expletives, elevating “Let’s Go, Mets” to the more vitriolic hashtag #LFGM. Large-scale production, undeniable lore.
Still, Mets team president David Stearns remained silent.
The Orioles will launch a fierce attack from the start, and there is a possibility that they will rebuild the team all at once. As the last rays of sunlight filtered through Camden Yards and Alonso and Boras prepared to hightail it to the airport, Rubenstein and Boras chatted quietly in the cool air of Eutaw Street.
Baltimore is now a player, and the idea of an expanded relationship with Uber’s agents and owners, a septuagenarian couple looking for a new hurrah, suddenly becomes no laughing matter.
No, Alonso is an Oriole and the two markets may never be the same. He knows that’s never the case.
“The past year and a half has been full of trials and tribulations, but there are also moments like this one where I am overwhelmed with joy,” he says. “It justifies the hard work, it justifies the sacrifice. It’s really invigorating, it’s really energizing.
“I really enjoyed playing in New York, and I’m very grateful for the opportunity. There’s great people there, the locker room, the staff, the people around the club. It’s phenomenal.”
“But I am so proud to call this organization and this city home.”
