Pete Alonso Pens down Heartfelt Message Following Mets Exit After $155 Million Deal with Orioles

Pete Alonso joined the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday on a 5-year, $155 million deal, the largest AAV given to a first baseman in MLB.

Pete Alonso Pens down Heartfelt Message Following Mets Exit After $155 Million Deal with Orioles

Pete Alonso (Image via Instagram/@mets)

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The Pete Alonso era at the New York Mets has come to an end. On Wednesday, the first baseman joined the Baltimore Orioles on a 5-year, $155 million deal. On Thursday, he would pen down a heartfelt message on his social media account.

Alonso, a 5-time MLB All-Star, joined the team through the draft in 2016. He went on to make his debut in 2019 and had an outstanding rookie season.

His 53 home runs and 126 RBIs in his first year saw him earn the National League Rookie of the Year Award. The “Polar Bear” went on to become an important part of the team and led the offense in the following years.

In the 2025 season, he smashed 38 home runs and surpassed Darryl Strawberry to become the Mets’ star with the most home runs. Following a disappointing end to the campaign, where they missed the playoffs on the final day, Alonso announced his decision to opt out of his deal and become a free agent once again.

He was a free agent last offseason as well. He would re-sign with the Mets on a 2-year, $54 million deal. This contract did have an opt-out clause after the 2025 season. Despite the individual brilliance from him and Juan Soto, the Mets were unable to make it to the playoffs, finishing with an 83-79 record following a major collapse.

With Alonso being a free agent, there were several Mets fans hoping for his return. Unfortunately for them, the team never made an formal offer to him this time out. After meeting with the teams during the Winter Meeting, the 31-year-old agreed to join the Orioles and switch teams for the first time in his career.

The Mets fandom was left shaking their heads with this development. A day after his deal, Alonso took to his Instagram account and penned down a heartfelt message on his exit.

Thank you for the passion. Thank you for the love. Even the tough love that comes with playing for New York. When it came time for first pitch, thank you for being electric through it all. Thank you for getting rowdy every time I stepped up to the plate and made the building shake when the ball found a seat over the wall. Your energy fueled me more than you’ll ever know. You believed in me, and you made me better.

Pete Alonso said as a part of his message

Alonso finishes his Mets chapter with 264 home runs and 712 RBIs from 1,008 regular-season games. He had 5 home runs and 11 RBIs from 16 postseason games.

Baltimore Orioles win hearts of fans following cheeky announcement of Pete Alonso

The Baltimore Orioles landed a massive bat in Pete Alonso this offseason. The team that were looking for an offensive upgrade, roped in a Silver Slugger Award winner in Alonso on a 5-year, $155 million deal. The team then won the hearts of the fans following a cheeky announcement of the first baseman.

Pete Alonso
Pete Alonso (Image via Imago)

Several hours after reports of the deal broke through, the Orioles officially announced the American international. In a post on X, the team would use the viral meme of “What the hell is a Polar bear doing in Arlington, Texas“, with some words changed.

Fans on X would go into a frenzy following this announcement and cheered the Orioles for this. A few minutes later, the team made another post and officially announced the signing of Alonso on a 5-year deal.

Alonso’s $155 million deal is the highest Annual Average Value (AAV) given to a first baseman. It is also the highest AAV in the Orioles franchise and the second-largest deal offered by them to a player since they splashed $161 million on a 7-year deal for Chris Davis in 2016.

The O’s had a disappointing campaign in the 2025 season after back-to-back playoff seasons in 2023 and 2024. Last year, they finished with a 75-87 record and were placed last in the AL East standings. With Alonso now in their lineup, they will be hoping to make a giant push once again from next year.

As for the Mets, they have now lost another of their core players. Just a day before Alonso’s exit, the team lost closer Edwin Diaz. The 3-time All-Star pitcher joined the Los Angeles Dodgers on a 3-year, $69 million deal. This has left the New York side with several tasks to do before the next season commences.

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