Orioles agree to $155 million,
5-year deal with slugger Pete Alonso, AP source says
[December 11, 2025]
By NOAH TRISTER
BALTIMORE (AP) — The Baltimore Orioles agreed to a $155 million,
five-year contract with slugger Pete Alonso, a person with knowledge
of the agreement told The Associated Press on Wednesday.
The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the
deal was pending a physical.
It's a major move for a Baltimore team that vowed to be aggressive
following a last-place finish in the AL East. Alonso hit .272 with
38 home runs and 126 RBIs for the New York Mets this year, posting
an .871 OPS that was his highest since he hit 53 home runs as a
rookie in 2019.
Alonso, a first baseman who turned 31 on Sunday, hit a
franchise-record 264 homers over seven seasons with the Mets. He's
earned All-Star honors five times, including each of the past four
years.
Nicknamed the Polar Bear, Alonso became a Citi Field fan favorite as
a homegrown member of the Mets. He was the NL Rookie of the Year in
2019, when he hit .260 with a major league-high 53 homers — a rookie
record — and 120 RBIs. He had a career-high 131 RBIs in 2022.
Alonso batted a career-low .217 in 2023 while hitting 46 homers and
driving in 118 runs, and he hit .240 with 34 homers and 88 RBIs in
2024.
After a slow free agent market last winter, Alonso signed a $54
million, two-year contract to stay with the Mets, but he opted out
of the final year of the deal, forfeiting $24 million.
Alonso turned down a $158 million, seven-year offer from the Mets in
2023 that would have covered 2024-30. He will wind up earning $205.5
million over those seven seasons, a 30% increase.
Alonso met with teams at the winter meetings in Orlando, Florida.
“Pete lives in Tampa, it’s rather warm there,” his agent, Scott
Boras, said Tuesday. “So the polar vortex of last year has kind of
thawed. So the prior market — that prior bear market is exhausted."
The Orioles won the AL East in 2023 and were a wild card last year,
but a team full of young talent backslid significantly in 2025.
Baltimore’s pitching had a lot to do with that, but the offense
wasn’t great either despite the presence of Gunnar Henderson, Adley
Rutschman and Jordan Westburg.
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New York Mets' Pete Alonso, left, stands with Francisco Lindor after
flying out with the bases loaded during the fifth inning of a
baseball game against the Miami Marlins, Sunday, Sept. 28, 2025, in
Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky, File)
Alonso gives the Orioles a veteran power bat in the
middle of the lineup, and new manager Craig Albernaz will have some
flexibility. Rutschman and Samuel Basallo are options at both
catcher and designated hitter, with Basallo potentially getting
at-bats at first base, too. Alonso has played 162 games each of the
past two seasons, almost entirely at first base.
It's now harder to see a path to regular playing time, barring
injury, for first baseman Ryan Mountcastle, who could become a free
agent after the 2026 season. Coby Mayo, a power-hitting prospect who
hit .217 with 11 homers in 85 games this year, may also be blocked.
Baltimore could still use a dependable starter to help a rotation
that produced a 4.65 ERA last season, but acquiring Alonso shows the
Orioles are willing and able to land a top free agent after sticking
mostly to short-term deals in recent years.
“Christmas came early,” Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said on social media
after the news broke.
Earlier this offseason, Baltimore signed reliever Ryan Helsley and
traded for outfielder Taylor Ward.
The Mets lost Alonso a day after All-Star closer Edwin Díaz agreed
to leave New York for a $69 million, three-year contract with the
two-time defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers, a deal
still not finalized. New York also traded outfielder Brandon Nimmo
to Texas on Nov. 24 for Gold Glove second baseman Marcus Semien.
New York was baseball's second-biggest spender this year behind the
Dodgers but failed to reach the postseason.
___
AP Baseball Writer Ronald Blum contributed to this report.
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