The biggest shock of free agency occurred today, with Pete Alonso leaving the New York Mets to sign a 5-year, $155 million contract with the Baltimore Orioles. To say this move is a shock would be quite the understatement. This deal becomes the second-largest total value ever given out by the Orioles, trailing only Chris Davis’ infamous 7-year, $161 million contract.
When you’re looking at small-market teams, signing any large, long-term deal will always be a risk. If Pete Alonso isn’t performing like the near 40-home-run-per-year All-Star we’ve seen since he joined the majors in 2019, this could sink a Baltimore team that is just two years removed from winning the AL East.
Last season was obviously a massive disappointment for the Orioles, with their young core of Adley Rutschman, Jackson Holliday, Gunnar Henderson, and many others underperforming their lofty expectations.Â
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 expected from them the last few years. The beauty of baseball is that small changes can make massive differences each season, and the hope is that these younger players can rebound with less pressure heading into 2026.
Of course, adding Pete Alonso to your lineup makes life a lot easier for everyone around him. Alonso has stretches where he can be inconsistent, but adding a career average 135 OPS+ to the middle of your lineup is exactly what Baltimore needed.
Since moving Ryan O’Hearn, the main option for the Orioles at first base was likely to be 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’s really struggled in the field the last few years. The Orioles were a middle-of-the-road defensive team last season, so even if Alonso has to play the field, I’m not sure his performance at first base would significantly sway their overall defensive metrics — especially at a position that traditionally lacks high defensive value.
Alonso going to Baltimore is terrific for baseball as well. Big markets have dominated free agency for decades, so seeing a team that notoriously doesn’t spend — like the Orioles — shell out real money for the Polar Bear is fantastic.Â
It once again proves that small-market teams can spend their money, but often choose not to. The Orioles still need to add arms to a weak starting rotation or this move will be for nothing, potentially giving owner David Rubenstein an excuse in the future for why the organization isn’t spending. Either way, it’s great to see a small-market team steal a prized free agent away from one of the sport’s biggest spenders.
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