Mets legend keeps pushing false narrative about Pete Alonso's departure to Orioles

Pete Alonso signing with the Baltimore Orioles was surprising to a lot of people. Surprising for a lot of different reasons too. Many believed that Alonso would do whatever it took to stay with the Mets. It was also widely believed that Alonso wouldn't be able to get a five-year deal on the open market, and maybe most of all, nobody thought the Orioles would be the team to open the checkbook and bring home the Polar Bear.

Like any fanbase, Mets fans are working through the stages of grief that come when a franchise player leaves in free agency. One moment, it's "best of luck in Baltimore, old friend," and the next, it's "good riddance, you overpaid bum, it's your fault Kodai Senga is dead." These sorts of comments are understandable coming from faceless accounts that litter the internet these days.

However, Mets legend Darryl Strawberry decided to weigh in on Alonso's decision to sign with Baltimore, and with his commentary perpetuated a mistruth that slanted the discourse against Alonso. The comments that grabbed headlines were "I was really shocked that Pete would leave New York for Baltimore" and "one day he is going to wake just like I did and regret you didn't stick where you were at." There are bones to be picked at with those statements, but it was actually one of his other comments that was especially inaccurate.

The biggest mistake I saw was after they lost in Miami, he opted out... I think if he just waited and said, ‘OK, I’ll stay at that, but give me a four-year deal,’ something like that, they could have worked it out... I think they both could have fought harder in that situation.

It's not Pete Alonso's fault he's not a Met, but things worked out great for the Orioles

Framing the Mets and Alonso divorce as something that was Pete Alonso-driven or something where both sides were equally at fault is not accurate. The Mets front office that jettisoned a core of fan favorites and brought in a bunch of 1-2 year mercenaries to fill their shoes would love to have the fanbase remember Pete Alonso's exit as something other than the front office turning their nose up at their franchise player, but that's exactly what it was.

After the 2024 season, Alonso did everything in his power to stay with the Mets. He turned down offers from other teams. The Mets even leaked that Alonso came to them with "special contract offers" he would be willing to sign with them and no one else. It was in the news for months, and all of the commentary around Alonso's free agency was how badly he wanted a long-term deal with the Mets and how they didn't want to sign him. It was an embarrassing thing to put a player of Alonso's caliber through.

In the end, Alonso came back on a two-year deal with opt-outs after each season. The Mets successfully avoided giving him the long term contract they so clearly dreaded and Alonso got to be a Met for a little longer However, with the way the contract was set and how the Mets treated Alonso all offseason it was clear that his intent was to play one more season with the Mets and then hit free agency as soon as possible and get paid what he deserved.

Alonso opted out of his contract after a bounce-back season in 2025. The Mets did not make him a contract offer, expecting him to explore the market and then circle back to them. When the Orioles offered Alonso $155 million, he decided he didn't feel like circling back to the Mets and begging them to match the offer. He signed on the dotted line.

Alonso gave the Mets every opportunity to sign him to a long-term deal, and they didn't. The reason Pete Alonso isn't a Met right now is that the Mets' front office did not compensate him. Acting like it's anyone else's fault is basically David Stearns propaganda.

Why is it so important to remember whose fault it is that a player and team parted ways? Because how things are remembered impacts players' legacies and their relationships with fans. Teams have much more power to influence the narrative than players do.

After Luka Doncic was traded, sports shows across the country were discussing his weight as if that were something that mattered at all. When the Cowboys traded Micah Parsons, the next day, shows were talking about his run defense as if that was something that anyone cares about when evaluating one of the best pass rushers in the league

The Mets front office would much rather the majority of their fanbase be angry with Pete Alonso than deal with people talking about how "The Mets could have had Pete Alonso" when he hits 4 times as many homers as Jorge Polanco this season.

The Orioles valued Alonso more than the Mets did, plain and simple. Alonso went where he was wanted and joined a young core of players who are ready to contend. It's unfortunate for the Mets that he valued money and winning over bacon egg and cheese sandwiches and bodegas, but that's how it goes sometimes.