Orioles see beginning of a 'new era' with Pete Alonso signing

BALTIMORE — Invoking the name of Frank Robinson is no small gesture in Baltimore.

The Orioles traded for the Hall of Fame outfielder in 1966, acquiring him from the Cincinnati Reds to be the missing piece for a young, up-and-coming organization. The Reds were concerned about how the then-30-year-old would age and the Orioles scooped him up and inserted him into the middle of their lineup. He went on to win the American League Most Valuable Player Award and lead Baltimore to its first two World Series titles.

On Friday, while holding a news conference to welcome the ballclub’s newest prized addition Pete Alonso, Orioles owner David Rubenstein likened the 31-year-old slugger to his Hall of Fame predecessor.

“Frank Robinson’s number when he played in Cincinnati, was 20,” Rubenstein said. “Pete Alonso’s number in New York was 20. Because our 20 is retired here he’s agreed to play with 25, but the fact that both of them had the number 20, both of them in their early 30s, both of them are great power hitters and both of them were people that really can work with younger players, makes us think we have a great future ahead of us.”

The Orioles are hopeful similar results will follow after introducing Alonso to the city and his new ballpark after signing the power-hitting first baseman to a five-year, $155 million contract at MLB’s winter meetings this season. After years of playing under tight payrolls and building up their roster through the draft, the Orioles made their biggest financial commitment ever for a player outside of their organization to boost their standing in the AL East and thrust their club back on the path to World Series contention.

“We have the talent base, as evidenced by the way this team has played over the last four years, and we’ve got a tremendous core to build around, but we finally have so many pieces in place,” president of baseball operations Mike Elias said.

“From the ownership group on down, to grow this franchise and invest in players, but also facilities, the business part of our operation, the ballpark, everything that we’re doing, we have David and the rest of the group to thank. And I think we have a whole new era in front of us, and signing Pete is a big part of that.”

It wasn’t an easy path that brought Alonso to this point. He spent the past seven years with the New York Mets, turning down a reported five-year, $158 million extension offer in 2023 in lieu of becoming a free agent last offseason. A cold market greeted him and he returned to New York on a two-year deal with an opt-out. Alonso responded with 38 home runs and an .871 OPS last season — the latter his highest since his rookie season — and returned to free agency, where the Orioles were eager to make their pitch.

All the while, Alonso and his wife Haley welcomed their first child, a son named Teddy, and had their home in Tampa, Fla., flooded by Hurricane Helene. Top off all of that with the Mets’ run to the National League Championship Series in 2024 and Alonso setting the franchise’s all-time home run record this year, and it’s clear why Friday’s news conference was an emotional day for the Orioles’ new slugger.

“When we’re here, this is going to be home,” Alonso said. “For us, we’re incredibly grateful and we’re going to really take pride in calling Baltimore home. This city and this team, they believe in us and we want to do right and really just justify and really do that by immersing ourselves, giving back to the community and at the end of the day, winning ballgames between the lines.”

The two sides met at the winter meetings, which were held in Orlando just a few hours away from Alonso’s home. The Orioles’ pitch detailed where they saw him fitting in their lineup, how his power would play at Camden Yards and the renovations they’re doing both at the stadium and their spring training complex. Manager Craig Albernaz also talked about his baseball philosophies and the culture he was bringing to the clubhouse. Not long after, Alonso called his wife after to tell her that he found his new team.

“It was the entire blueprint,” Alonso said. “Just their passion for winning and also their vision, and pretty much what they told me was, ‘Hey, this is where we see you and how we’re going to get there. You’re going to be a big part in winning a championship here.’ … it really gave me a good insight on what my days are going to be like every day inside the clubhouse and what this culture’s going to be like. There’s a lot of talent, there’s a lot of young talent and I feel like I can help this team achieve greatness.”

Alonso’s agent Scott Boras said that he received calls after the news broke from his other Orioles clients Gunnar Henderson, Jackson Holliday and Jordan Westburg, all expressing their excitement over the franchise’s commitment to winning. Rubenstein indicated that the team wasn’t done, either. The Orioles are still on the hunt for frontline starting pitching and Rubenstein said, “As long as the baseball rules are what they are today, we can do what we want to do, and we’re prepared to do what we need to do to get the team to be on a championship level. … If there are other great players we can get, we’ll try to get ’em.”

If Alonso fulfills the kind of Robinson-esque potential the Orioles see in him, Baltimore will have a front-row seat in watching him cement his Hall of Fame case. A new era, indeed.

“This partnership, to me, it was just head and shoulders above everybody else,” Alonso said. “This park, this city, this team, this organization, everything combined, everything just clicked. And, for me, it was the perfect fit, not just as a player but for family life, too. I could go up and down a laundry list of things, there were just so many boxes, and every single box this place checked. For us, we’re just so pleased, and for this organization to see me, not just in the now but in the future, it’s such a blessing.

“I can’t wait to play, I can’t wait to perform, I can’t wait to win games.”