Pete Alonso’s deal with Orioles buys him a very long leash, but buyer’s remorse could be on the horizon

The Baltimore Orioles have to be patient with Pete Alonso. They have no other choice after signing the slugger to an exorbitant five-year, $155 million contract. While it's too early to declare that contract a disaster, there is definitely cause for concern after Alonso's slow start to the season.

Alonso is hitting .197/.329/.348 with two homers and seven runs batted in thus far. Those are not the numbers either he or the Orioles were hoping for, but it is natural for a player to struggle at first after signing a big deal.

The Polar Bear wants to justify that big contract as quickly as possible. Baltimore took a chance on him by signing him for that much money. It's not exactly the most surefire move to sign a defensively limited player to such a big deal when he is on the wrong side of 30, but the Orioles knew they needed thump in the middle of the order.

It's a lot of pressure for the former New York Met, but 18 games are nowhere near enough of a sample size to make a judgment on how his tenure will turn out. His struggles have been magnified by the return of the offensive inconsistencies that plagued the Orioles last year.

It hasn't been all bad for Pete Alonso

While the average and power numbers aren't great, there are still positives. He has drawn 13 walks, which is in the top 15 of MLB. Clearly, opposing pitchers still fear his power and are afraid to challenge him. That's a much better sign than if he were getting fastballs down the middle every at-bat and was just whiffing on them.

He's had some memorable moments as well. He hit a home run earlier this week, which was caught by a fan wearing a polar bear costume head, which feels a bit serendipitous and could be a sign from the baseball gods. Maybe that little moment of magic is what he needs to break out of his funk and get going at the plate.

The guy is a proven power threat coming off a really strong year, so pressing the panic button is still premature. It's valid to have concerns, though, and if the Polar Bear's bat remains in the North Pole once it should have been melted by the summer heat, that is when the buyer's remorse could start to set in.

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