Through all of the free agent rumors, it never really felt like Pete Alonso would leave the New York Mets.
What would the Polar Bear even look like in another uniform?
Well, now we'll find out.
Alonso has signed with the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday. The Mets' franchise leader in home runs is gone, heading from NYC for the DMV.
And while it might make sense on paper, it's still a painful one for the Mets fanbase.
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Why did the Mets let Pete Alonso leave for the Orioles?
This answer is simple: Money.
The Orioles are reportedly paying Alonso $155 million over five years, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan. That's $1 million more per year than the Philadelphia Phillies will pay Kyle Schwarber.
At that rate, the Mets were never going to be the winners.
New York has made comments since the season ended about prioritizing things like defense and base running. And for all the slugging Alonso does, he's not a guy who does a ton of the little things well.
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The Mets may have their eye on someone else where this $31 million per year will come in handy.
They may have also just viewed this analytically and said that by their models, Alonso wasn't worth that much.
Either way, the reason why is almost less important than the reality: Alonso, a beloved Met, is now an Oriole.
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