Pete Alonso will make his return to Citi Field after signing a five-year, $155 million deal with the Baltimore Orioles in the offseason. The former New York Mets fan-favorite and All-Star first baseman spoke about his free agency to the media.
“Honestly, going through the free-agent process, Baltimore started the dialogue super, super early,” said Alonso, with video courtesy of SNY Mets. “And really, I didn’t want to mess up a good thing because this organization showed a lot of promise.”
Alonso has continued to put up his typical numbers with the Orioles. He enters this series against the Mets slashing .269/.363/.499 with 35 home runs and an American League-leading 100 RBI.
“Me, I’m so stoked to be an Oriole and be a part of this organization. I’m happy, family’s happy, teammates are incredible, staff is incredible. We’re very, very fortunate to be here. Also, I feel very fortunate to have played all the years I have with the Mets.”
Pete Alonso talks about his free agency process:
Recapping Pete Alonso’s Exit from the Mets
The decision to let Pete Alonso become a free agent in the first place is a tough one for the Mets. They failed to lock up the five-time All-Star on a long-term extension, then watched him walk in free agency after putting up one of his better seasons at the plate.
The Mets have struggled to replace Alonso. New York has tried Mark Vientos, Jorge Polanco, Jared Young, and Brett Baty at first base. Of that group, only Young seems to have held his own offensively. They also signed Bo Bichette to a three-year, $126 million deal that doesn’t look great in its first year.
The Orioles took a look at Alonso’s relatively consistent track record at the plate and decided he was worth $155 million. That came after he turned down a seven-year, $158 million extension offer from the Mets in 2023. Alonso bet on himself and came out the winner.
Alonso finished his Mets tenure with a .253/.341/.516 slash with a franchise-record 264 home runs in seven years with the club. Despite no longer being a member of the team, he still remains a fan favorite. Alonso signed autographs for Mets fans during batting practice.
Pete Alonso Takes Aim at Home Run Milestone in Citi Field Return
Pete Alonso enters this series against the Mets with 299 career home runs. It would be pretty fitting if No. 300 came against the team he was originally drafted and developed by.
The Mets also have a player sitting at 299 home runs, shortstop Francisco Lindor. Alonso spoke about the possibility of hitting his 300th home run the same night as his former teammate.
“Yeah, that could be really cool,” said Alonso. “Also, I know (Lindor) is chasing the same milestone. Both of us could do it in the same game and if that happens, I think it’d be the first time ever and hopefully we win the game. If we were to do it in the same day, that would be really sick.”
“If we were to do it in the same day, that would be really sick.”
Former Mets Star Pete Alonso Explains Orioles Decision Amid Citi Field Return