The Baltimore Orioles emerged as winners in the sweepstakes for slugging first baseman Pete Alonso, who on Wednesday agreed to a five-year, $155 million deal pending a physical, sources confirmed to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal.
The Orioles on Tuesday missed on signing Kyle Schwarber, who returned to the Philadelphia Phillies on a five-year, $150 million contract that the Orioles also offered the slugger.
The signing gave the Orioles a slugger that they have long coveted, while also taking a target off the board for their rivals in the AL East, the Boston Red Sox. Alonso’s departure also stands as the latest domino to fall in a transformational offseason for the New York Mets, who have lost several mainstays in their clubhouse.
Alonso, who ranked seventh on The Athletic’s Big Board, was projected for a five-year, $140 million contract.
Alonso had returned to the open market after finding a lukewarm reception last year. Off two subpar seasons in 2023 and 2024, he signed just a two-year, $54 million deal with the Mets that paid him $30 million in the 2025 season and permitted an opt-out, always likely to be exercised, to hit free agency again this winter.
Alonso’s bet on himself paid off with a rejuvenated offensive season. His .871 OPS was his best since his rookie season in 2019, and his .272 batting average was the best of his career.
The Mets’ all-time leader in home runs, Alonso has been one of the game’s preeminent power hitters since his 2019 debut. He set a rookie record with 53 home runs that season, and his 264 homers over the last seven years trail only Aaron Judge (285) and Schwarber (268).
Alonso, who will play 2026 at 31 years old, has hit at least 34 home runs in each 162-game season of his career; he hit 16 but was on pace for 43 in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season.
He’s not just a home run hitter, however. His 41 doubles in 2025 led the National League, and he’s piled up RBIs year after year by saving some of his best work for situations with runners in scoring position. His career OPS in that spot is .933; he hit .309/.401/.634 with runners in scoring position in 2025.
Since 2019, Alonso’s adjusted-OPS+ of 135 is tied with Ketel Marte for 16th in baseball, just barely behind Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Mookie Betts.
Alonso has also proven remarkably durable over the course of his career. Since he debuted, nobody has played in as many games as his 1,008 out of a possible 1,032 — 97.7 percent.
Never a particular strength, Alonso’s defense at first base regressed in 2025, as he struggled with throws to the bag. (An errant one in June led to a leg injury for Kodai Senga.) While he’s played just 60 of his career games at DH, he has suggested he’s open to more time there.