Why Pete Alonso Picked Orioles Over Red Sox, Others

The Baltimore Orioles landed a superstar...

Sep 23, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso (20) hits a RBI single against the Chicago Cubs during the sixth inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | David Banks-Imagn Images

The Boston Red Sox were clearly interested in All-Star slugger Pete Alonso.

Rumors swirled all week at the winter meetings that Boston was interested, but Alonso opted to sign a long-term deal with the Baltimore Orioles. In the aftermath, it was revealed that the Red Sox had some concerns about Alonso's age and the cost.

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Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported that Boston, along with the Chicago Cubs and Orioles, met with Alonso at the winter meetings.

The Red Sox missed out on Pete Alonso

So, why did Alonso pick Baltimore? He revealed the answer on Friday.

"It was just head and shoulders above everybody else," Alonso said, as transcribed by MLB.com's Jake Rill. "This park, this city, this team, this organization, everything combined. Everything just clicked."

He also shed some light on Baltimore's messaging to him throughout the process.

"Pretty much what they told me was 'This is where we see you and how we're going to get there'," Alonso said. "'You’re going to be a big part in winning a championship here.’ To me as a player, that's not just like them saying that, but them giving me the entire blueprint of the organization is extremely refreshing. As we talked, not just went through things...just getting to know them as men and people, it really gave me a good insight on what my day is going to be like every day in the clubhouse and what this culture is going to be like. There's a lot of talent. There's a lot of young talent and I feel like I'm going to help this team achieve greatness."

The Orioles inked Alonso to a five-year, $155 million deal. Boston dealt Rafael Devers away and arguably could've afforded that if it really wanted to. But there's plenty of offseason left and maybe Boston has something up its sleeve.

The Red Sox were in the Alonso sweepstakes, but missed. We heard details afterward about why Boston didn't meet Baltimore's offer. Now, we know why Alonso liked the Orioles.

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