Alonso’s arrival makes Orioles look and feel different after years of waiting

BALTIMORE — After years of waiting, unfulfilled promises, and false starts, this finally looks and feels different for the Orioles.

Handing out the largest contract to an outside free agent in franchise history will have that effect, of course, but the organization hit all the right notes Friday with the exception of the suboptimal late afternoon timing of the press conference to introduce five-time All-Star first baseman Pete Alonso to Baltimore. As president of baseball operations Mike Elias noted, it was “a very momentous and historic day” for the Orioles and their fans.

On the heels of such a disappointing 2025 season, it’s better late than never.

From the Alonso billboards spotted on I-95 and the Jones Falls Expressway and the stuffed polar bear placed next to control owner David R