First baseman Pete Alonso and the Baltimore Orioles are finalizing a five-year, $155 million contract, sources advised ESPN’s Jeff Passan.
Alonso, after failing to get the long-term deal that he coveted, made $30 million with the New York Mets in 2025 and was price each penny as he rebounded to slash .272/.347/.524 with 38 house runs and 126 RBIs batting behind Juan Soto for the primary time.
In August, the five-time All-Star grew to become the Mets’ all-time chief in house runs, surpassing Darryl Strawberry’s earlier file of 252 to solidify his place as one of many franchise’s high gamers.
It was Alonso’s finest offensive output since his rookie season, with one key underlying metric (xwOBA) being the most effective of his profession. So what modified? His strikeout fee was down and his energy numbers had been up, which each can be affected by the shortening of his swing size. The shortness of his swing was within the 74th percentile (ranked 58th) this season after being within the 51st percentile (ranked 104th) final season, amongst certified hitters.
His baserunning and defensive metrics, nevertheless, proceed to regress, nearly solely as a result of his vary.
Inside minutes of the Mets’ remaining sport of the season, which capped a three-and-a-half month collapse by which they went from the most effective workforce in baseball in mid-June to a postseason spectator, Alonso, who turns 31 in December, opted out of the $24 million remaining on his contract to succeed in free company once more.
Alonso was a beloved homegrown star in Queens after he was drafted within the second spherical by the Mets in 2016. He burst onto the scene with an MLB-leading 53 house runs to win the 2019 NL Rookie of the Yr Award. He grew to become a fixture over six seasons for his slugging prowess, eccentric character and his affinity for the group.
Coming off his worst yr in 2024 as a significant leaguer with full-season profession lows in house runs, RBI, slugging proportion and OPS, Alonso sought a profitable long-term contract after rejecting a seven-year, $158 million extension in the summertime of 2023. President of baseball operations David Stearns, nevertheless, refused to have interaction Alonso on the long-term deal he needed.
ESPN’s Jorge Castillo and Kiley McDaniel contributed to this report.
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