Orioles Sign Pete Alonso to Five-Year, $155 Million Deal
The Orioles made a statement by signing Alonso. What kind of impact will this move have in Baltimore and around the league?
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Following year two of the David Rubenstein ownership era in Baltimore, the Orioles have made their first major signing under their new owner. The O’s swiped first baseman Pete Alonso on a five-year contract worth $155 million. At $31 million per year, Alonso sets the all-time record for average annual value for a first baseman.
Alonso reportedly drove from his Tampa home earlier this week to meet with teams including the Red Sox, Orioles and Mets to discuss a free agent contract. The holdup with teams like the Mets appeared to be an unwillingness to tack on a fourth or fifth year for the 31-year-old. The reported contract will take Alonso up to his age-35 season.
Since the start of the 2020s, there have been 24 first base seasons logged by a player between ages 34 and 35. Those elder first basemen averaged 1.4 fWAR per season, explaining the hesitancy for some of these teams.
Alonso, however, resurged in his age-30 season after struggling to find a long-term deal as a free agent last winter. His .871 OPS in 709 plate appearances was his highest in any year since his Rookie of the Year-winning season in 2019, when his 53 home runs broke the all-time rookie home run record. His 141 wRC+ was also tied for the second highest of his career.
Alonso produced this vintage season due to a power surge to all sides of the field. Throughout the year, his fly ball direction shifted right compared to where it was in previous years.
Alonso’s Fly Ball Direction
| Year | Pull% | Straightaway% | Opposite% |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 28.2% | 30.6% | 41.1% |
| 2025 | 19.9% | 32.6% | 47.5% |
Consistent success on fly balls hit to the opposite field takes premier power, something Alonso displayed more than ever in 2025.
Last year, he posted a 95.4 mph average exit velocity on fly balls the other way, the highest of his career by nearly two mph. This raised his slugging percentage on these batted balls up to .733, a 273-point increase over 2024 and the second highest of his career.
According to Statcast, this profile should translate at Camden Yards.
Statcast suggests Alonso would’ve hit 45 home runs in 2025 if he played all 162 games in Baltimore. Not only is that a massive increase over the 36 home runs he actually hit, but it estimates Camden would’ve been the seventh most productive ballpark for Alonso to hit the long ball, something he’s done more than anyone not named Aaron Judge or Kyle Schwarber since his 2019 debut.
Alonso was a much more productive hitter at Citi Field in 2025. His 117 tOPS+ at home suggests he was 17% more productive in Queens than he was overall, tying him as the 13th most home-favorable hitter in baseball (min. 300 home plate appearances). Despite leaving the Mets, it seems he picked a ballpark where he can continue to thrive.
The Ripple Effects
This aggressive, no-nonsense type of move represents what Orioles fans have waited to see out of the front office for years.
After an underwhelming 2024-2025 offseason translated to a disappointing 2025 season, the team needed to make a statement to show they were still taking this window seriously. This willingness to step out of a comfort zone is exactly that statement, as Alonso joins rookie Samuel Basallo as the only players on the roster to have money guaranteed beyond the 2027 season.
The Orioles have already traded young starter Grayson Rodriguez for outfielder Taylor Ward and signed reliever Ryan Helsley to a two-year, $28 million deal this winter.
With these kinds of investments coming in from outside, Baltimore is now a couple of starting pitchers away from looking like a World Series contender once again in 2026.
After losing Edwin Díaz to the Dodgers yesterday, a devastating winter is continuing for Mets fans with the departure of another franchise player. That said, the losses of Díaz and Alonso have freed up $51 million from last year’s payroll. This is money Steve Cohen has to spend to get back to the postseason in 2026.
There are many different routes the team could take to rebound from these losses. Premier infield bats like Alex Bregman, Eugenio Suárez and Munetaka Murakami remain on the market. Perhaps they could supplement their rotation with a name like Framber Valdez or Ranger Suárez. Or, maybe they go all in by signing Kyle Tucker.
This signing also hurts the Red Sox, who lost out on a big target to a division rival. Boston’s .166 ISO after trading Rafael Devers in mid-June ranked 14th in the majors, emphasizing the team’s need for a power bat like Alonso. This move likely ups the pressure for Boston to re-sign Bregman or make a trade for Ketel Marte.
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Daniel Curren is a writer with Just Baseball. He loves sabermetrics, baseball history, and the Hall of Fame.