ORLANDO, Fla. – Another day, another piece of the Mets’ franchise structure removed.
Pete Alonso joined the former Mets on Wednesday, agreeing to a five-year, $155 million contract with the Orioles, according to industry sources. The agreement was reached one day after Edwin Díaz left Queens for the Dodgers as a free agent.
Alonso, the all-time franchise leader, has not received an offer from the Mets, according to sources. Alonso attended the Winter Meetings — an hour and a half drive from his home in Tampa — on Tuesday to meet with interested teams but did not meet with Mets officials.
Since the end of the season, the Mets have moved on from Alonso, Díaz and Brandon Nimmo, leaving holes to be filled by president of baseball operations David Stearns.
Alonso’s departure should not have been a surprise as the two sides came close to reaching an agreement last winter. Alonso eventually returned with a two-year contract worth $54 million, including an opt-out. Alonso announced his intention to exercise that opt-out immediately after the season ended, and continued to do so after the World Series concluded.
“I loved being a Met,” Alonso said after the final Mets game. “Hopefully they appreciated me.”
In 2023, Alonso turned down a seven-year contract offer from the Mets worth $158 million. His new Orioles contract, added to his salaries from the past two seasons, puts his guaranteed dollars at $205 million over the same seven years. He will enter the AL East in a hitter-friendly ballpark in Baltimore – a venue where he has played 10 games and hit five home runs.
Alonso was in position to cash in after a season with the Mets, in which he posted a .272/.347/.524 slash line with 38 home runs and 126 RBIs. He played in all 162 games for the second straight season and received a fifth career All-Star selection.
The market for Alonso was set after the five-year, $150 million contract Kyle Schwarber received on Tuesday to return to the Phillies. The Orioles were among the bidders for Schwarber and were in a position to offer Alonso essentially the same deal.
Alonso’s departure leaves the Mets without protection for Juan Soto in the lineup. Soto, who arrived last offseason with a record $765 million contract, hit a career-high 43 home runs last season, with Alonso behind him. Alonso also brought scarce right-handed power to the lineup.
“Right-handed power is a commodity,” Alonso’s agent Scott Boras said earlier this week. “A man who can play on the sand is a commodity.”
But there were concerns about the 31-year-old first baseman’s range as Stearns appears to be improving defensively. Last month, Stearns traded Nimmo to Texas for Marcus Semien, giving the Mets a Gold Glove second baseman.
The Mets also still have to address left field, the starting rotation and the bullpen. The signing of Devin Williams on a three-year, $51 million contract represents the only free agent addition this offseason.
Alonso, nicknamed “Polar Bear” upon his arrival to the Mets in 2019, became a fast fan favorite by setting an MLB rookie record with 53 home runs.
In August, Alonso moved ahead of Darryl Strawberry into first place on the franchise’s all-time list by hitting homer No. 253. Alonso ended his Mets tenure with 264.
“Pete is a great Met,” Stearns said in October. “He’s had a fantastic year – I said that last year and it worked out – I’d love to have Pete back and we’ll see where the off-season goes.”
Stearns reiterated at the Winter Meetings this week that the organization “would love to have Pete back.”
Cody Bellinger is one of the free agents who could provide the Mets with coverage at first base and in the outfield. Internally, the Mets have Mark Vientos, who has played sparingly at first base, and Ryan Clifford as options.
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