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ORLANDO, Fla. – In the latest shake-up to the Mets’ core, the club’s all-time home run leader is bound for Baltimore.
Just one day after losing longtime closer Edwin Díaz to the Dodgers in free agency, and weeks after trading Brandon Nimmo to the Rangers, Pete Alonso is the latest franchise icon to depart from Queens this winter after agreeing to a five-year, $155 million deal with the Orioles that will give him the highest average annual value ever for a first baseman in free agency.
A year ago, Alonso was unable to secure the long-term deal he coveted coming off a down year by his standards. He settled for a two-year, $54 million contract that included an opt-out, which he exercised this winter after raising all of his slash-line numbers in 2025, hitting 44% above league average and passing Daryl Strawberry to become the franchise’s home run leader.
Alonso, who was drafted by the Mets in the second round in 2016 and was an All-Star five times in his seven years in Queens, finished his Mets tenure with 264 home runs. He was the best power bat on the market after Kyle Schwarber returned to the Phillies on Tuesday on a five-year, $150 million deal. Clearly, Schwarber’s contract was a catalyst for Alonso’s market, as the new Orioles first baseman signed for $5 million more.
What’s next for Alonso
(Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images)
It was worth the wait.
The market isn’t always kind to players with Alonso’s profile, and that’s how it played out last winter after he slashed .240/.329/.459 with 34 home runs. A bounceback season, during which Alonso lowered his strikeout rate, recorded a career-high .272 batting average and hit 38 home runs, enticed an Orioles club looking to rebound from a last-place finish.
Alonso, who has the fourth-most home runs in MLB over the last five seasons, recorded the highest hard-hit rate and average exit velocity of his career in 2025, and he was rewarded with the long-term deal he sought.
The limitations in Alonso’s game are obvious: He offers little defensively at first base and is a poor baserunner, but that’s not why the Orioles took this chance. He remains one of the premier power bats in the game, and he joins an Orioles club that ranked 19th in slugging percentage and 21st in OPS last year. Alonso had an .871 OPS in 2025, nearly 100 points higher than the best qualified hitter in the Orioles’ lineup (Gunnar Henderson led Baltimore with a .787 OPS).
It doesn’t hurt that Baltimore just moved its left-field wall back in, either. According to Statcast, Alonso would have hit 45 home runs in 2025 if he played all of his games at Camden Yards (he finished the year with 38). If he continues to rake, the Orioles will live with the rest.
What’s next for the Mets
(Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images)
Much like a season ago, the Mets were not willing to give Alonso the long-term offer he sought. And so, the winter of change continues in Queens, leaving an already distressed fanbase wondering what president of baseball operations David Stearns has cooking coming off a highly disappointing 2025 season.
There’s a ton of work for Stearns to do. The addition of Devin Williams won’t erase the pain of Díaz’s departure, and Alonso had the highest batting average and second-highest slugging percentage and OPS on the club.
Obviously, a lot of time remains for Stearns to fill the voids, whether by trade or free agency. But the losses have far outweighed the gains thus far. They need a frontline starter and more pop in the lineup. Framber Valdez, Ranger Suárez and Tatsuya Imai are all available. So are Kyle Tucker, Alex Bregman, Cody Bellinger, Bo Bichette, Munetaka Murakami and Eugenio Suárez.
It’s time for the Mets to get to work.
What’s next for the Orioles
(Photo by Kent J. Edwards/Getty Images)
After a stunning 75-87 season and fifth-place finish in the AL East, the Orioles are spending what it takes to finally turn their young core of talents into a winner.
With Pete Alonso and Taylor Ward joining Gunnar Henderson, Jordan Westburg, Jackson Holliday, Adley Rutschman and company, this could now be one of the most dangerous lineups in MLB. The addition of Alonso helps balance a left-handed-heavy lineup that ranked 11th in home runs last year and also takes a first-base slugger off the board for the rival Red Sox, who are in the market for one.
Starting pitching is the clear need now. The Orioles could still use a frontline arm to pair with Trevor Rogers and Kyle Bradish, whether through trade or free agency. But the lineup should have them in a much better position to contend.
Rowan Kavner is an MLB writer for FOX Sports. He previously covered the L.A. Dodgers, LA Clippers and Dallas Cowboys. An LSU grad, Rowan was born in California, grew up in Texas, then moved back to the West Coast in 2014. Follow him on X at @RowanKavner.
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