After spending his entire career with the New York Mets, first baseman Pete Alonso elected to leave the Big Apple behind in free agency this winter. Signing a five-year deal with the Baltimore Orioles, Alonso is seen as one of the missing pieces to a team eager to return to the playoffs. Alonso began his Baltimore tenure with a bang, hitting a two-run home run that proved to be the winning margin in a 2-0 Spring Training opener victory over the New York Yankees. After the win, Alonso shared his thoughts about his new uniform, which was shared by team beat reporter Matt Weyrich via X, formerly Twitter.
“I think orange is my color,” Alonso remarked to the media post-game.
After wearing blue and orange for the majority of his baseball career, Alonso has swapped blue for black. Now rocking the black, white, and orange of the Orioles, the slugging first baseman is looking to lead his new team back to October. Can Alonso and the rest of Baltimore's new additions, like manager Craig Albernaz, get the O's back on track?
Offseason of change for Orioles could lead to playoff return
In addition to hiring Albernaz and signing Alonso, Orioles GM Mike Elias had a busy offseason. He kicked off the winter by trading for outfielder Taylor Ward, bringing another slugger into the lineup. Chris Bassitt and Shane Baz were adding to reinforce the starting rotation. Ryan Helsley was signed to be the new closer. More additions helped buttress the bullpen and bench.
Elias and the Orioles ownership hope these moves spark a resurgence on the field. Losing second baseman Jackson Holliday to a broken hamate bone to start the season isn't ideal. Yet recent trade pickup Blaze Alexander should be able to fill in for a short time. Can Alonso and the rest of Baltimore's additions lead them back to the postseason? If so, this offseason of change will have been worth the effort.
