In the sixth inning of a spring training game against the Miami Marlins, Pete Alonso smashes a home run.
The Baltimore Orioles are eager to advance in 2024 after an outstanding 2023 season. Is their greatest chance to accomplish so a blockbuster trade?
If that’s the case, few teams are probably more equipped to execute a play like that.
Having the best farm system in the Major League Baseball going into the season, Baltimore has demonstrated that they are not averse to putting prospects in the middle to pull off a transaction of this kind.
Let’s move on to the New York Mets and Pete Alonso, who Lead MLB Writer Zachary D. Rymer mentioned in a Bleacher Report story on April 2 as a possible fit for the Orioles should they choose to add outside help this season.
Following an All-Star season in 2023, Alonso outperforms most MLB players in terms of home runs and RBIs.
Rymer stated, “Alonso leads all hitters with 193 home runs and 499 runs batted in since 2019—those are his specialties.” “Adding a middle-of-the-order hitter like him could have improved any team, as he is the epitome of what a player should be.”
In addition, Rymer mentioned the San Diego Padres, Minnesota Twins, and Chicago Cubs as teams where Alonso would fit in.
It Appears Like Alonso Won’t Be Signed by the Mets
After agreeing to five consecutive one-year contracts since 2020, Alonso is currently in his last season with Mets management.
The 29-year-old, meanwhile, is only growing older. Furthermore, the Mets aren’t getting any better. There was only one above in New York.500 result in their previous four seasons, and they have lost their first four games of 2024.
That and the latest remarks made by team owner Steve Cohen make an extension seem improbable.
When questioned about a possible Alonso deal, Cohen told ESPN on March 17 that “we haven’t had any discussion and I think at this point, for Pete, it’s best for him to go and have a great year and not be distracted.”
Coming into free agency in 2024, Spotrac forecasts the starting first baseman for the Mets will sign a nine-year, $292-million contract.
Alonso might have actually played in his final Opening Day game as a Met if there has been little to no progress toward an agreement.
But does Baltimore make sense if he’s leaving the Big Apple?
What Makes the Orioles Want to Trade Alonso?
Teams considering Alonso should be particularly interested in his bat and his pricing.
Baltimore proved they could convert huge hits during their season-opening series against the Los Angeles Angels. They produced a 14-run scoring differential despite losing, but they still won the series with two of their three games.
And then there’s the cost. What may Alonso be able to get in a trade?
In a blog published on December 23 for ESPN, MLB Insider Kiley McDaniel stated, “He’ll make more than $20 million in his last year of arbitration because of his big counting stats, so his trade value is middling: something like a prospect that ranks in the 101-200 area of a prospect list.”
That is a minor cost for a first baseman who is an All-Star.
Even though the Orioles bats have been quite hot to start the season, if you take Alonso’s power at the plate into account along with the cost to acquire him, it appears like a trade worth making.
Particularly if Baltimore hopes to officially erase its loss in the AL Division Series from the previous season.
