Pete Alonso has no hard feelings.
The Baltimore Orioles’ new first baseman said he doesn’t take it personally that a reunion with the Mets didn’t come to fruition and revealed when he realized his time in Queens was over.
“It was pretty much when it came down to the true negotiating point, and it’s like, all right, it’s just not gonna happen,” Alonso said on the “Foul Territory” podcast.
“For me, it’s like, I gave everything I had, and I always do,” he said. “I just don’t take it personal because at the end of the day, it’s their philosophy. It’s their business decision.”
Alonso, 31, signed a five-year, $155 million contract with the Orioles this month after spending his first seven MLB seasons with the Mets.
The Mets were believed to be reluctant to go beyond a three-year contract with Alonso, an approach consistent with a wider league trend in which teams avoid long-term commitments to power-hitting first baseman on the other side of 30.
“I feel like we’re in the right spot,” Alonso said. “How could I be salty over that?”
Alonso became the Mets’ all-time home leader this year, finishing the season with 264. The fan-favorite slugger hit .272 with 38 homers, 126 RBI and an .871 OPS in 2025.
This offseason marked Alonso’s second consecutive foray into free agency, though this one moved much more quickly. Last winter, Alonso re-signed with the Mets on a two-year, $54 million contract with an opt-out, which he exercised in November.
“I’m in a place where they see me in their future and in their present,” Alonso said. “I’m stoked to be there, and I can’t wait to win ball games for the Baltimore Orioles.”
This offseason, Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns has prioritized run prevention — the amalgam of pitching and defense — and Alonso did not grade well defensively in 2025.
Alonso’s departure came amid an exodus of longtime Mets, as Brandon Nimmo, Edwin Diaz and Jeff McNeil will also not be back after this year’s 83-79 season ended without a playoff berth.
The Mets signed Jorge Polanco, 32, to a two-year, $40 million contract to be part of their first-base solution. A career middle infielder, Polanco made his lone appearance at first base last season.
