• ESPN News Services

Dec 10, 2025, 01:07 PM ET

First baseman Pete Alonso and the Baltimore Orioles are finalizing a five-year, $155 million contract, sources told ESPN’s Jeff Passan on Wednesday.

Alonso, after failing to get the long-term deal that he coveted, made $30 million with the New York Mets in 2025 and was worth every penny as he rebounded to slash .272/.347/.524 with 38 home runs and 126 RBIs, batting behind Juan Soto for the first time. But the Mets did not make Alonso an offer, sources confirmed to ESPN.

In August, the five-time All-Star became the Mets’ all-time leader in home runs, surpassing Darryl Strawberry’s previous record of 252 to solidify his place as one of the franchise’s top players. Alonso now has 264 home runs.

It was Alonso’s best offensive output since his rookie season, with one key underlying metric (xwOBA) being the best of his career. So what changed? His strikeout rate was down and his power numbers were up, both of which would be affected by the shortening of his swing length. The shortness of his swing was in the 74th percentile (ranked 58th) this season after being in the 51st percentile (ranked 104th) last season, among qualified hitters.

But his baserunning and defensive metrics continued to regress, almost entirely due to his range.

Within minutes of the Mets’ final game — a season that saw them collapse over 3½ months from the best team in baseball in mid-June to postseason spectators — Alonso opted out of the $24 million remaining on his contract to reenter free agency.

Alonso, 31, was a beloved homegrown star in Queens after he was drafted in the second round by the Mets in 2016. He burst onto the scene with an MLB-leading 53 home runs to win the 2019 NL Rookie of the Year Award. He became a fixture over six seasons for his slugging prowess, eccentric personality and his affinity for the organization.

Coming off his worst year in 2024 as a major leaguer with full-season career lows in home runs, RBIs, slugging percentage and OPS, Alonso sought a lucrative long-term contract after rejecting a seven-year, $158 million extension in the summer of 2023. But David Stearns, president of baseball operations, refused to engage Alonso on the long-term deal he wanted.

The Orioles won the AL East in 2023 and were a wild card last year, but a team full of young talent backslid significantly in 2025. Baltimore’s pitching had a lot to do with that, but the offense wasn’t great either despite the presence of Gunnar Henderson, Adley Rutschman and Jordan Westburg.

Alonso gives the Orioles a veteran power bat in the middle of the lineup, and new manager Craig Albernaz will have some flexibility. Rutschman and Samuel Basallo are options at both catcher and designated hitter, with Basallo also potentially getting at-bats at first base. Alonso has played 162 games each of the past two seasons, almost all at first base.

It’s now harder to see a path to regular playing time, barring injury, for first baseman Ryan Mountcastle, who could become a free agent after this season. Coby Mayo, a power-hitting prospect who hit .217 with 11 homers in 85 games this past season, might also be blocked.

Baltimore could still use a dependable starter to help a rotation that produced a 4.65 ERA last season, but acquiring Alonso shows the Orioles are willing and able to land a top free agent after sticking mostly to short-term deals in recent years.

“Christmas came early,” Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said on social media after the news broke.

Earlier this offseason, Baltimore signed reliever Ryan Helsley and traded for outfielder Taylor Ward.

The Mets lost Alonso a day after closer Edwin Diaz agreed to leave New York for a $69 million, three-year contract with the two-time World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers, a deal still not finalized. New York also traded outfielder Brandon Nimmo to Texas on Nov. 24 for Gold Glove second baseman Marcus Semien.

New York was baseball’s second-biggest spender heading into 2025 behind the Dodgers but failed to reach the postseason.

ESPN’s Jorge Castillo, Kiley McDaniel and The Associated Press contributed to this report.