While Mets fans may still be in shock over Pete Alonso’s departure from the Mets to the Orioles last week in a five-year, $155 free-agent deal, Buck Showalter — who knows both Alonso and Baltimore well — is confident the first baseman will do well in his new home.
“That’s a good fit for Pete, a really good fit,’’ Showalter said by phone. “Pete will get Baltimore and the fans in Baltimore will get Pete. If I was gonna pick a place, other than Queens, for him, Baltimore would be high on the list.”
Showalter managed Alonso with the Mets in 2022 and ‘23 and spent nine years in Baltimore from 2010-18, and is confident the different atmosphere will suit Alonso.
“They’re not mean,’’ Showalter said of Baltimore fans. “They just want to see the Orioles do well and they get behind a good team. They’re really hungry.”
Alonso seemed comfortable in his new surroundings during his introductory press conference in Baltimore last week, calling it “a perfect fit.”
“Pete is such a sincere guy,” Showalter said. “He never has a bad day and he’s the same guy every day. And he posts up. If you were ever gonna trust a guy with a contract like that, he’d be one of the frontrunners.”
And Showalter said he’d give Alonso — who he spoke to after the slugger agreed to his new deal — this advice as he begins the next chapter in his career: “I’m happy for him. As long as he doesn’t try to do too much and be everything to everyone, he’ll be fine. He’s such a pleaser. I would tell him to play first base and be Pete.”
The Mets, who brought Alonso back last offseason on a two-year, $54 million deal that included an opt-out after this past season, didn’t offer the 31-year-old a new contract this time around once they learned the size of the deals he’d already seen.
Instead, after losing Alonso, as well as closer Edwin Diaz to the Dodgers, in free agency, the Mets signed Jorge Polanco to a two-year, $40 million deal, with the 32-year-old expected to play some first base, as well as DH and other infield spots.
They’ve also traded Brandon Nimmo to Texas in exchange for Marcus Semien and brought in Devin Williams, who is expected to close games, although they have made trade inquiries to San Diego about Mason Miller, according to noti.group’s Jon Heyman.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
