Pete Alonso set to meet with pair of AL East clubs

The Winter Meetings have kicked off in Orlando, and prized free agent slugger Pete Alonso will be in attendance.

According to Mike Puma of the New York Post, the seven-year New York Met will take the trip from his home in Tampa, Florida to meet with teams, including the Boston Red Sox and Baltimore Orioles.

This isn't the first time Alonso has been linked to these two AL East clubs. Over the last week, reports have indicated that if the Polar Bear was to leave Queens, it would be for the Red Sox. Interest has seemingly been building from both sides, with The Athletic's Jen McCaffrey calling Alonso a "primary target" for Boston and Peter Abraham of The Boston Globe reporting that the slugger has told friends that the Red Sox are "high" on his free agency list.

Baltimore's interest in Alonso shouldn't come as a surprise either. Orioles' president of baseball operations Mike Elias and owner David Rubenstein have made it clear that they will be buyers this offseason, potentially spending aggressively for the right players.

When asked about their plans to build up the roster this offseason, Rubenstein explained that they "don't have particular restraints."

Orioles owner David Rubenstein on how the team plans to bolster its roster this offseason:

“We don’t have particular restraints.”
— Matt Weyrich (@ByMattWeyrich) November 4, 2025

While the O's have addressed their bullpen in signing Mets' trade deadline acquisition Ryan Helsley and are expected to add a starting pitcher before the offseason is through, Alonso could still be in play. With a young talented roster that will be ready to compete within the next four years, Baltimore would benefit greatly from Alonso's consistent power in the middle of the lineup.

Alonso is coming off of one of his finest seasons, slashing .272/.347/.524 while blasting 38 home runs to become the Mets' all-time home run leader. He trailed only fellow free agent Kyle Schwarber in RBIs in the National League with 126 and played in all 162 games for New York for the second straight year.

Alonso's presence goes beyond home runs and RBIs. His veteran leadership would be especially valuable in the clubhouse for Boston, who is at risk of losing Alex Bregman, and Baltimore, who is looking to develop several young stars.

As far as fit is concerned, it is no secret that Alonso's declining defense at first base likely makes him a candidate for a designated hitter role sometime in the near future. This is something that Alonso himself stated he was open to depending on where he ended up this offseason.

Scott Boras indicated that Pete Alonso indeed is amenable to DHing some starting in 2026, particularly in the right situation/for a winning team.
— Tim Healey (@timbhealey) November 12, 2025

That said, both Boston and Baltimore figure to be spots where he could stay at first base, at least for the time being. The Red Sox currently have Triston Casas working back from a significant knee injury while the Orioles have Ryan Mountcastle penciled into the position. But both clubs appear to have waning confidence in these options and would certainly be willing to move off of them if it means adding Alonso.

It has not been confirmed if Alonso will meet with the Mets during his time in Orlando, but the general belief is that the club remains interested in bringing back the franchise great. However, if his market grows too competitive with teams like the Red Sox, Orioles, and others, don't be surprised if David Stearns is forced to find another option at first base.

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