Orioles suddenly show up in surprise Pete Alonso free agency speculation

The Baltimore Orioles will be in the market for an impact bat this offseason, and the overwhelming expectation is that the Orioles would prefer the addition to be an outfielder who could take over center field duties. Of course, after trading Ryan O'Hearn at the deadline and Ryan Mountcastle in need of a change of scenery, first base could be how the Orioles' front office plans to upgrade their offense.

It's why the Orioles get a passing mention as a suitor for Pete Alonso. The Athletic's Will Sammon and Tim Britton go through the exercise of projecting what Alonso's next contract will be and if that will lead to a return to the New York Mets. The impression is that Alonso will land the long-term contract this offseason that wasn't available to him last year, and the belief from Sammon and Britton is that the deal won't be with the Mets.

Orioles pop up in unexpected Pete Alonso rumors

Looking beyond the Mets, The Athletic's insiders list the Orioles among a handful of teams that could be interested in Alonso. The list includes teams in need of a first baseman and designated hitter. As for the contract, they list two potential outcomes: three years for $90MM, or four years for $110MM.

Last season was certainly a bounce-back campaign for Alonso. In 709 plate appearances, Alonso had a slash line of .272/.347/.524 with a wRC+ of 141 and 38 home runs. Given the lack of true offensive upgrades available on the free-agent market, it made sense that Alonso opted out of the second year of his two-year deal he signed with the Mets last offseason.

When it comes to projecting the Orioles' interest in Alonso, the biggest hurdle is the contract. Had this been last year, the Orioles likely would have jumped at the opportunity to give Alonso a short-term, high-AAV deal. This offseason, in what is likely his last chance at a long-term deal, Alonso could be priced out of the Orioles' range especially with Scott Boras pulling the strings behind the scenes.