QUEENS, NY — If time truly does heal all wounds, Mets fans probably need a bit longer when it comes to Pete Alonso.
The star first baseman and Mets franchise home run king returned to Citi Field for the first time on Monday as a member of the Baltimore Orioles, following a winter in which his former team rewarded years of slugging service with nary a contract offer.
All water under the bridge, according to Alonso, in at least a public forum.
“I respect their decision, and for me, the guys running the team, it’s their prerogative to do whatever they think is best. So for me, I respect it professionally,” Alonso said outside the Orioles clubhouse on Monday afternoon. “For me, I’m honestly so stoked to be an Oriole and be a part of this organization. I’m happy, family’s happy, teammates are incredible, staff is incredible. I feel very, very fortunate to be here, and also, I feel fortunate to have played all the years I have with the Mets.
“I’ve been very vocal about this: Two things can be true at the same time. I’m very happy and appreciative of the time that I spent as a Met, and I’m beyond grateful and appreciative of the Baltimore Orioles.”
The ovations for Alonso began the moment he emerged from the Orioles dugout to take batting practice more than an hour-and-a-half before first pitch on Monday. It’s not often that a star player who shuns a New York team in free agency is lauded after his move, but he did not have much of a choice.
Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns did not even extend a formal contract offer to Alonso last winter, which in part has made him the villain around Queens as of late. His backup plan of career middle infielder Jorge Polanco has failed spectacularly, making the Queens faithful pine for the Polar Bear all the more.
“I’m very gracious and appreciative of all the years of support, and it’s really special to have that,” Alonso said. “I know it’s been a long time. I know that I’ve been an Oriole now for almost a complete year. To still have that support, it really means a lot. It’s always been much appreciated.”
The 31-year-old admitted that he was drawn to the Orioles’ immediate and strong interest in him — an obvious and stark contrast to the radio silence from Stearns. Alonso inked a five-year, $155 million deal to join Baltimore during the Winter Meetings in December.
“Going through the free-agent process, Baltimore started dialogue super, super early, and really I didn’t want to mess up a good thing because this organization has shown a lot of promise and has a lot of young talent,” Alonso said. “During that time, it’s like, ‘OK, this is… the frontrunner.’ For me, seeing all the amazing things that this organization had to offer, I didn’t really want to mess up a good thing… So when you have something really, really good in front of you…when it comes down to business negotiations, you don’t want to look elsewhere. So for me, when Baltimore came, they expressed some serious interest. If they’re expressing themselves seriously, then I’m gonna listen seriously.”
Alonso has certainly rewarded the Orioles for that intense interest. He entered Monday night’s action with 35 home runs, 100 RBI, and an .863 OPS. Meanwhile, the ineffective committee of Mets first basemen has combined for a .685 OPS, tied for third-worst in baseball.
“I’m really happy individually with how the season is coming to fruition,” Alonso said. “I want to do whatever I can to help this team win games and for me to be myself and justify them bringing me along and contributing to the team. It feels good, and I want to help continue that for the years to come.”
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