If Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Hadn't signed a 14-year, $500 million extension with the Toronto Blue Jays, he would've been the top free agent first baseman available this winter.
Instead, Pete Alonso hopes to land a long-term deal of his own after agreeing to a two-year contract with the New York Mets last offseason. Alonso, approaching 31, opted out of the second year of his deal with the Mets after hitting 38 home runs with 126 RBIs while playing all 162 games of the 2025 regular season.
While a reunion with the Mets is possible, ESPN's Jeff Passan sees a potential fit with the Baltimore Orioles, among other teams.
"Alonso's willingness to play designated hitter offers the sorts of avenues a first-base-only mindset wouldn't," Passan wrote Tuesday. "He could stay with the Mets, move up to Boston, bring Cincinnati the big bat it desperately needs, or, if Ryan Mountcastle is traded or nontendered, split the first-base and DH jobs in Baltimore with rookie Samuel Basallo, who will also spend plenty of time at catcher."
Alonso's potential fit with the Orioles
Alonso would provide a much-needed power bat to the Orioles. Gunnar Henderson, Jackson Holliday, and Jordan Westburg led Baltimore with 17 home runs each this past year.
Mountcastle, entering his final year with the Orioles before becoming a free agent, played just 89 games last season after suffering a right hamstring strain in June. He didn't provide much offensively when he was healthy, posting a.653 OPS with 98 strikeouts in 357 plate appearances.
Baltimore dealt first baseman Ryan O'Hearn to the San Diego Padres at last year's trade deadline, and catcher Adley Rutschman's future with the organization is uncertain. If the Orioles trade Rutschman to open the starting job at catcher for Basallo, Alonso's path as the club's full-time first baseman becomes clear. But that's a major if.
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