Central Plains FFA Chapter

12/10 13:24 CST Orioles agree to $155 million, 5-year deal with slugger Pete Alonso, AP source says Orioles agree to $155 million, 5-year deal with slugger Pete Alonso, AP source says By NOAH TRISTER AP Baseball Writer BALTIMORE (AP) --- The Baltimore Orioles agreed to a $155 million, five-year deal 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. Alonso hit .272 with 38 home runs and 126 RBIs this year for the New York Mets, posting an .871 OPS that was his highest since he hit 53 home runs as a rookie in 2019. Alonso, who turned 31 on Sunday, hit 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 home-grown member of the Mets. He was 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 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. 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 Westberg. 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 this 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, meanwhile, lost Alonso a day after closer Edwin Diaz agreed to leave New York for a new deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers. ___ AP Baseball Writer Ronald Blum contributed to this report. ___ AP MLB: https://apnews.com/mlb