The big bat is officially moving to Charm City. Pete Alonso, the formidable first baseman who's been lighting up scoreboards in New York, is winding up to take his swings at Camden Yards. According to a person with knowledge of the deal who spilled the beans to The Associated Press, the Baltimore Orioles have agreed to a $155 million, five-year contract with Alonso. The specifics are still under wraps as the agreement awaits a physical, as noted by CBS News.
While the Orioles finished at the bottom of the standings, their front office promised not to shy away from swinging for the fences in the offseason. Alonso, who has just celebrated his 31st birthday, is set to bring his crowd-pleasing home run derby from Citi Field to the Orioles' roost. He comes off a season where he batted .272, launched 38 home runs, and batted in 126 RBIs, as reported by ABC 7 NY.
Alonso's departure from the Mets leaves behind a storied run as he set a new franchise record for home runs, eclipsing Darryl Strawberry's long-standing total. His output last season was notably enhanced by a dip in strikeout rates and an uptick in power hits, clearly showing he still has plenty of gas left in the tank despite hitting what some would call the dreaded north side of 30. Alonso's bat isn't the only thing that Orioles fans will get; his marketability and larger-than-life persona are sure to follow.
The Mets, however, are left reflecting on what might have been. After a collapse that saw them drop from the top of the league to non-contenders, it seems Alonso opted to efficiently utilize rather than to stay for the $24 million that remained on his contract and take his talents elsewhere. The Orioles will be banking on him to help turn the tide on a last-place finish and energize a fanbase hungry for high-caliber baseball. Alonso's agent, Scott Boras, was quoted saying, "Pete lives in Tampa; it's rather warm there," leaving fans to understand that Alonso is leaving the New York chill for the promise of a new start, as per CBS News.
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