Pete Alonso

By Zak Failla From Daily Voice

The Baltimore Orioles got their slugger, and the New York Mets suffered another massive blow as superstar Pete Alonso announced his deal.

There were cheers at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on Wednesday afternoon, when news leaked out that "Pistol Pete" had agreed to a five-year, $155 million contract pending a physical.

Up in New York, there were only more jeers as they lost another hometown hero days after star closer Edwin Diaz took his talents out west to join the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers.

According to The Athletic, the Mets did not make an offer to Alonso after he agreed to the deal with the Orioles. The Boston Red Sox were also reportedly among the teams vying for the slugger's services.

Alonso — who set the Mets' all-time home run record this season — brings the power bat Baltimore had sought after missing out on several other top free agents, including his closest comp, Kyle Schwarber, who returned to Philadelphia on a five-year, $150 million deal.

The 31-year-old's departure creates another hole for Steve Cohen's Mets to fill as their relatively quiet offseason continues — much to the consternation of the fan base.

Alonso's defense at first base continues to be a point of concern, but the Orioles are betting $155 million that his bat will continue to play when he puts on the orange and black. 

The new deal represents the highest average annual value for a first baseman, and is the second in Baltimore history behind the ill-fated $216 million deal for Chris Davis in 2016.

Alonso now joins a Baltimore team that includes slugging catcher Adley Rutschman, former Rookie of the Year Gunnar Henderson, and second baseman Jackson Holliday.

As for the Mets, general manager David Stearns will have to pivot to fill out the roster with more and more free agents coming off the board.