Going into last offseason, the Baltimore Orioles were looking to make a free agent splash. Sometimes, for teams like the Orioles, that is easier said than done. However, when the dust settled last December, they had struck gold over some of the top teams in the sport in terms of adding a free agent.
Former New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso hit free agency. There were a handful of teams that wanted him. That included the Mets for a reunion and the Boston Red Sox. Really, any team with a need at first base was involved with him.
In the end, instead of going back to the Mets or landing with the Red Sox, Alonso surprised a lot of people by signing with Baltimore. That was not only a surprising landing spot, but also surprising that the Orioles outbid other higher-payroll clubs.
What a signing it turned out to be.
Baltimore Orioles Struck Gold With Pete Alonso Signing
The Orioles were looking to send a message to the rest of the American League East. They were looking to join the Red Sox, New York Yankees, Toronto Blue Jays and Tampa Bay Rays as a force to be reckoned with. It didn’t go as planned for multiple reasons, but it wasn’t for Alonso.
Bleacher Report released their All-MLB Team for the 2026 season and Alonso was named the top player at his position, first base.
“Not much went right for the Orioles in a season that started with playoff aspirations and ended with a 79-82 record and a potential retooling on the horizon after Adley Rutschman was traded at the deadline,” wrote Joel Reuter.
There was some competition for the spot at first base, which included Ben Rice of the Yankees. However, according to Reuter, Alonso gets the nod for one reason: the number of games played at the position.
“Yankees slugger Ben Rice deserves a mention here, but he spent more time at designated hitter than he did at first base, while Alonso made 142 starts at the position,” Reuter wrote.
Pete Alonso Thrived in First Season With Baltimore Orioles
Make no mistake about it, the Orioles spent and spent big to land Alonso. He signed a five-year, $155 million contract. Alonso led the American League with home runs with 43 and RBIs with 113. He did all of that while his team finished in fourth place in the loaded AL East.
Alonso slashed .267/.363/.522 with 67 extra-base hits. It certainly wasn’t his fault that his pitching staff struggled. That is an area that the front office needs to address this offseason. However, given how good Alonso’s first season in Baltimore went, it’s an area they need to invest in.
There are a lot of questions surrounding what the offseason is going to look like. A potential lockout is looming on December 1. That means it will put more of an importance between the end of the World Series and December 1. Front offices are going to have limited time to make decisions if a lockout does happen. For Baltimore, it will be an offseason to address pitching as quickly as possible.
Baltimore Orioles Get Excellent Review on Pete Alonso’s 2026 Season