Baltimore Orioles surprise baseball world by signing Pete Alonso to $155 million contract
The biggest shock of free agency happened today, when Pete Alonso left the New York Mets to sign a 5-year, $155 million contract with the Baltimore Orioles. To say this decision is a shock would be an understatement. This deal becomes the second largest total amount ever given by the Orioles, behind Chris Davis’ infamous 7-year contract worth $161 million.
When looking at small market teams, signing a large, long-term deal will always be a risk. If Pete Alonso doesn’t perform like the nearly 40-homer-a-year All-Star we’ve seen since he joined the majors in 2019, it could sink a Baltimore team that’s just two years away from winning the AL East.
Last season was obviously a huge disappointment for the Orioles, with their young core of Adley Rutschman, Jackson Holliday, Gunnar Henderson and many others failing to live up to their lofty expectations.
However, the farm system is still loaded and it wouldn’t be shocking to see some, if not most, of their stars return to the near All-Star levels we’ve come to expect from them in recent years. The beauty of baseball is that small changes can make huge differences each season, and the hope is that these young players can bounce back with less pressure by 2026.
Of course, adding Pete Alonso to your team makes life a lot easier for everyone around him. Alonso has stretches where he can be inconsistent, but adding a career average of 135 OPS+ to the middle of your lineup is exactly what Baltimore needed.
Since the Ryan O’Hearn move, the Orioles’ primary option at first base was likely Ryan Mountcastle. He can split time with Alonso at first base and DH, or even allow Alonso to play most of his games at DH, as he has really struggled in the field in recent years. The Orioles were a middling defensive team last season, so even if Alonso gets to play in the field, I’m not sure his performance at first base would significantly influence their overall defensive metrics – especially at a position that traditionally lacks high defensive value.
Alonso going to Baltimore is also great for baseball. Big markets have dominated free agency for decades, so seeing a notoriously no-spending team — like the Orioles — shell out real money for the Polar Bear is fantastic.
This proves once again that small market teams can spend their money, but often choose not to. The Orioles still need to add weapons to a weak starting rotation or this move will be for naught, potentially giving owner David Rubenstein an excuse in the future for why the organization isn’t spending. Regardless, it’s great to see a small market team steal a valuable free agent from one of the biggest spenders in the sport.
