Thursday Thought: the vibe has CHANGED.
The Baltimore Orioles have signed Pete Alonso to a five-year, $155 million deal. Mike Elias really did it.
Immediately seeing the tweet from ESPN’s Jeff Passan, my initial reaction was pure shock. But in all reality, after seeing the fight Elias put up for Kyle Schwarber just a day prior, the pivot to Alonso makes so much sense.
Finally, we may be seeing the kind of offseason us fans deserve after the hell Elias has put us through over the last seven years.
Alonso is a five-time All-Star in what has been a loaded National League for years. Now inserted into the Orioles’ lineup between Gunnar Henderson and newly-acquired Taylor Ward, one word comes to mind: Hope.
We have all beaten Elias for years. From never getting that big free agent and offering the kind of money other big market and even smaller market teams were offering, to not handing out a single multi-year, opt-out-free deal in seven years, it has been warranted.
On Wednesday, that all changed. With that signing alone, the entire feeling around Birdland as well as how the O’s are being viewed around the league has completely shifted.
The most compelling aspect of this deal is the way the O’s are still in talks and considered leaders in signing some big-name pitchers. It is like Elias actually listened to all of us for once.
The Orioles now have a plethora of first basemen who should be on the trade block. Coby Mayo should be the highlight of a package to bring back an arm. Ryan Mountcastle, who has one year of team control remaining, is even a potential trade piece.
The O’s have been linked in trade talks for right-hander Freddy Peralta from the Milwaukee Brewers, as well as left-hander MacKenzie Gore from the Washington Nationals and even righty Edward Cabrera from the Miami Marlins.
It would be inexcusable not to go with at least one of these options to pair with a free agent starting pitcher.
It will be imperative for Elias to add a couple arms in addition to this whopping bat that he paid. Although the signing of Alonso is a fantastic deal, it is simply not enough to call it an offseason.
What are your thoughts on this? Let us know in the comments below! Make sure to follow The Baltimore Battery on Facebook, X, Bluesky and TikTok, and use the hashtag #baltimorebattery when sharing our content!
Represent The Baltimore Battery and show off your fandom with our official merchandise! Reasonably-priced attire made just for you! Visit our official shop site by clicking here!
Like Justin’s content? Follow him on X – @orioles4life96
THE BALTIMORE BATTERY 
Leave a reply to enthusiastsweetlyd2ec706ef3 Cancel reply