Pete Alonso-Orioles' contract details out; NY Mets' Polar Bear set for historic deal
Pete Alonso, nicknamed Polar Bear, is leaving the New York Mets for good. The Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday agreed to sign him
Pete Alonso, nicknamed Polar Bear, is leaving the New York Mets for good. The Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday agreed to sign him on a $155 million, five-year deal, The Associated Press reported, citing a person with knowledge of the agreement. The deal is pending a physical.
After vowing to be aggressive following a last-place finish in the AL East, the Orioles have landed one of the market’s premier power bats: Alonso, the longtime New York Mets star who just turned 31 on Sunday.
The slugger arrives after a highly productive 2024 campaign in which he hit .272 with 38 home runs and 126 RBIs, delivering an .871 OPS, his best mark since his record-setting rookie year in 2019. Over seven seasons in Queens, the slugging first baseman crushed 264 homers, earned five All-Star selections, including each of the last four years, and cemented his status as a beloved figure at Citi Field.
His breakout year remains iconic. Alonso stormed into the majors in 2019, winning NL Rookie of the Year after hitting .260 with a major-league-leading 53 home runs and 120 RBIs, setting the all-time rookie homer record. He later drove in a career-high 131 runs in 2022.
But Alonso’s path to free agency was winding. A slow market last offseason led him to sign a two-year, $54 million deal with the Mets, though he chose to opt out of the final year, forfeiting $24 million in guaranteed money. He also previously declined a seven-year, $158 million extension offer in 2023. The decision ultimately paid off: Alonso will earn $205.5 million over the same seven-year span, roughly 30% more.
His agent, Scott Boras, said Alonso’s renewed market reflected improved conditions.
“Pete lives in Tampa, it’s rather warm there. So the polar vortex of last year has kind of thawed. So the prior market — that prior bear market is exhausted," Boras quipped during the winter meetings in Orlando, where Alonso met with several clubs.
For the Orioles, Alonso fills an immediate need. Despite stars like Gunnar Henderson, Adley Rutschman, and Jordan Westberg, Baltimore’s offense sagged in 2025 as the team slid backward after winning the AL East in 2023 and making the postseason as a wild card in 2024. Pitching was a major culprit, but run production also dipped badly.
Baltimore has already been active this winter, signing reliever Ryan Helsley and trading for outfielder Taylor Ward before securing their new franchise slugger.
For the Mets, Alonso’s departure marks another major loss during a rapidly shifting offseason. Just a day earlier, star closer Edwin Díaz agreed to join the Los Angeles Dodgers on a $93 million, three-year deal, pending finalization. New York also moved longtime outfielder Brandon Nimmo to the Texas Rangers on Nov. 24 in exchange for Gold Glove second baseman Marcus Semien.
(With AP inputs)
