The most surprising transaction of the MLB offseason boldly announced itself on Wednesday in the form of Pete Alonso reportedly signing a five-year, $155 million contract with the Baltimore Orioles.

Alonso landing in Baltimore comes as a shock to many people in the industry who believed the dominant narrative that Alonso’s two most likely destinations were either a return to the New York Mets or the Boston Red Sox.

That being said, an explosive reveal from MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo emerged in the minutes following the Alonso-Orioles news. According to DiComo, “the Mets never made a formal offer to Pete Alonso … as it became clear to them the bidding was heading to places they weren’t interested in going.”

Alonso delivered a hugely successful campaign in 2025, slashing .272/ .347/ .524 with 38 home runs and a league-second 126 RBI over 162 games for the Mets. His power surge earned him an All-Star nod, 11th place in MVP voting, and his first Silver Slugger award. Yet, New York’s early dominance (boasting MLB’s best record at 45-24 on June 12) faded into a brutal second-half slump, marked by seven- and eight-game skids that dropped New York to 83-79. A 4-0 loss to the Marlins on September 28 sealed their playoff exclusion, as the Reds clinched the final wild-card spot.

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Over seven Mets seasons, the Polar Bear mashed 264 homers with a .253 average, 951 hits, and 712 RBI, including a rookie-record 53 blasts in 2019 that netted him Rookie of the Year honors.

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It’s onto Camden Yards for Alonso now.

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Featured image via Sam Navarro/Imagn Images