(Baltimore) The Baltimore Orioles have offered a five-year contract worth $155 million to power hitter Pete Alonso, a person with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press on Wednesday.
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This person spoke on condition of anonymity; this pact is conditional on a medical examination.
This is a major decision for the Orioles, who want to bounce back after finishing in last place in the American League East.
Alonso hit .272 with 38 homers and 126 RBIs this year with the New York Mets, posting an OPS of .871, his best since hitting 53 long balls as a rookie in 2019.
Alonso, who celebrated his 31ste birthday Sunday, hit 264 home runs in seven seasons with the Mets. He has been selected for the All-Star Game five times, including the last four years.
Nicknamed “The Polar Bear,” Alonso has become one of the favorite players of New York fans at Citi Field. He was named the National League Rookie of the Year in 2019, after hitting .260 with 53 long balls (a record for a rookie) and 120 RBIs. He reached a career-high 131 RBIs in 2022.
Alonso hit .217 in 2023, his career-worst average, while hitting 46 homers and driving in 118 runs, then .240 with 34 four-run hits and 88 RBIs in 2024.
Alonso signed a two-year, $54 million contract with the Mets last winter, but decided not to exercise the option for his final year.
Alonso met with the teams at the Major League Winter Conference in Orlando, Florida.
“Pete lives in Tampa, where it’s pretty hot,” his agent, Scott Boras, said Tuesday. Last year’s polar vortex has sort of dissipated. The previous market, this bear market, is therefore exhausted. »
With the contribution of Ronald Blum, of the Associated Press
