Just when we thought the New York Mets’ offseason couldn’t get any worse after losing All-Star closer Edwin Diaz to the Dodgers, Pete Alonso is now headed out of Flushing.
According to Joel Sherman at the Post, the Polar Bear is headed to the Baltimore Orioles on a five-year, $155 million contract. Per Anthony DiComo, the Mets never made a formal offer.
It’s a welcome change for Alonso from a free agency standpoint. The five-time All-Star entered last offseason expecting a lengthy deal, probably something worth north of $200 million over seven years. Instead, he settled for a two-year, $54 million deal with an opt-out clause to stay with the Mets.
In what was essentially another contract year, Alonso then hit a career-high .272 with 38 home runs and 126 RBI plus a 141 wRC+. The downside is that he was a black hole in the field. In fact, his -8 fielding run value (FRV) marks a career-worst.
This is where things get a bit complicated. The Orioles have too many first basemen and right-handed power bats. Ryan Mountcastle is an expiring contract and could be on the move in a trade for pitching, that’s easy enough. However, would Baltimore be willing to part with hyped prospect Coby Mayo even after he only hit .217 in his first full season?
The DH spot is also crowded. Recall that last season, Baltimore signed veteran righty bat Tyler O’Neill to a three-year deal worth $49.5 million after he hit .241 with 31 homers in 113 games for the Red Sox in 2024. Injuries limited him to batting .191 with nine homers in ’25, and O’Neill opted into the rest of his deal. Two years and $33 million remaining.
Regardless, it’s clear that the Orioles are ready to compete and contend in 2026. They’ve already acquired outfielder Taylor Ward from the Angels for former top pitching prospect Grayson Rodriguez.
But speaking of pitching, that’s the kicker with this move. Pete Alonso got his money and boosts Baltimore’s lineup, but tell me: Who’s pitching?
There’s your multimillion-dollar question, ladies and gentlemen. The Orioles can outslug their competition eight days a week and twice on Sundays, and still would probably struggle to win games. Only two of their pitchers last year, Dean Kremer and Tomoyuki Sugano, registered north of 150 innings in 2025. Even with regulars Kyle Bradish and Tyler Wells back for a full season in ’26, make no mistake. The Baltimore Orioles don’t have an ace.
But anyway, enough about the O’s, even though they certainly need to trade some of their youth core for pitching at this stage. At day’s end, this is an awful, awful look for the Mets. They’ve lost two of their best players to free agency already and there’s no sign of things getting better. Aside from signing Devin Williams, it’s been a forgettable winter.
In fact, that might be what hurts the Mets and their fans the most about Alonso leaving. Baltimore really isn’t all that different from the Mets. They might have a deeper lineup, but the pitching staff has the same questions: Who’s taking the ball?
Good-bye, Brandon Nimmo. Adíos, Edwin Diaz. Happy Polar Bear trails, Pete Alonso.
That, dear readers, is the New York Mets’ offseason in three sentences.
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