The Baltimore Orioles just changed the balance of power in the American League East.
Moments after ESPN’s Jeff Passan dropped his trademark bomb—“BREAKING: First baseman Pete Alonso and the Baltimore Orioles are finalizing a five-year, $155 million contract”—the baseball world erupted. The Mets’ homegrown superstar, the face of Queens and one of MLB’s most feared sluggers, is heading south to join one of the most dynamic young teams in baseball.
In a winter already overflowing with seismic moves, this one might be the loudest of them all.
Baltimore Gets the Power Bat It Desperately Needed
The Orioles entered the offseason openly searching for impact offense. Last year, their first basemen and DHs combined for a brutal .375 slugging percentage, ranking 28th in MLB. They chased Kyle Schwarber hard, even matching the Phillies’ $150 million offer, but came up short.
Now they’ve landed someone younger, healthier, and arguably better.
Alonso, 31, is coming off a monster 2025 season: a .272 average, 38 home runs, 126 RBI, and an .871 OPS across all 162 games. That wasn’t an anomaly. Since 2022, Alonso has averaged 39 homers and 115 RBI per year with consecutive All-Star nods. His durability and consistency made him the top power hitter available after Schwarber.
Baltimore’s young core—Gunnar Henderson, Adley Rutschman, Colton Cowser, Heston Kjerstad, and Jackson Holliday—now gets the veteran middle-of-the-order force it lacked. A lineup that was already dangerous now adds a premier run-producer who has lived at the top of leaderboards his entire career.
This is a franchise-altering swing.
Why Alonso Chose Baltimore—and Why the Mets Lost Him
The Orioles didn’t just out-negotiate the Mets; they out-wanted Pete Alonso.
Reports throughout the Winter Meetings painted a clear picture: Baltimore was aggressive, prepared, and ready to spend big. The Mets were… not. MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand reported that Mets president David Stearns hesitated to go beyond three guaranteed years for Alonso. Meanwhile, the Orioles were willing to go five—the exact length Alonso targeted ever since Schwarber signed his five-year deal.
Boston also met with Alonso in Orlando, but Baltimore’s combination of roster fit, competitive timeline, and financial commitment ultimately won.
For the Mets, this is a disaster. They traded Brandon Nimmo. They watched Edwin Díaz walk to the Dodgers. And now they lose a franchise icon who many assumed would retire in Queens. Stearns insisted publicly that the Mets “know Pete very well,” but that familiarity didn’t translate into urgency.
Baltimore stepped into that void and closed.
The AL East Just Got Even Crazier
The Yankees added pitching. The Blue Jays added Dylan Cease. The Red Sox remain heavily active. And now the Orioles—already positioned to contend for years—add one of the most feared sluggers in the sport.
Alonso’s arrival means playoff pitching in the AL East must now navigate Henderson, Rutschman, and Alonso back-to-back-to-back. It’s a gauntlet no team wants to face in October.
And it signals something even bigger: the Orioles are no longer just developing talent. They’re keeping it—and now, buying it.
This is the moment Baltimore fans waited for. Their front office promised they would spend when the window opened.
Pete Alonso came to the Winter Meetings planning to hear pitches from Boston and Baltimore. He leaves with a franchise-changing contract and a new home in a division that instantly becomes even more explosive.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Orioles Shock MLB, Finalize Five-Year, $155 Million Deal With Pete Alonso appeared first on Heavy Sports.