During his two seasons managing the New York Mets, Buck Showalter would be in his office five hours before first pitch when Pete Alonso would walk in.
“He’d just come in and talk about life,” Showalter said.
Throughout those many chats, and Showalter’s two seasons managing Alonso in New York, the former Orioles skipper knows the type of player and person Baltimore signed to a five-year, $155 million contract Thursday.
“Pete’s a guy you can trust,” Showalter said in a phone interview. “You’ve never heard of anybody having any trouble with Pete Alonso. Pete likes to play, and Pete likes to win. He will get Baltimore; Baltimore will get him. It’s a good match for him. I’m happy for him.”
Showalter, one of the best skippers in Orioles history, managed the Mets in 2022 and 2023. Alonso, 31, was an All-Star both seasons, smacking 40 and 46 homers, respectively. After two more impressive campaigns in Queens, pushing his career long ball total to a whopping 264 through seven seasons, Alonso decided to leave the Big Apple for Charm City.
Showalter said Alonso was, in addition to receiving the largest average annual value contract for a free agent first baseman in MLB history, attracted to having spring training in Sarasota, Florida — close to his hometown of Tampa. The Mets have spring training in Port St. Lucie on the Atlantic coast of Florida. Alonso and his wife, Haley, welcomed a baby boy in September, and signing with the Orioles allows Alonso to be closer to home during spring training.
In addition to the surprise that the Orioles would make such a significant financial commitment, it was additionally so because they signed Alonso away from a big-market, high-payroll team like the Mets, the team that drafted him in 2016.
“It’s one thing to say you’re going to make a splash. You’ve got to have the cooperation — the player, the agent, everyone,” Showalter said. “I talked to Pete about it. He liked where [the Orioles] were headed. It was everything there, upgrades to the ballpark — Camden Yards has always been a cool place to play. When I was there, you were trying to make Baltimore a destination that players wanted to go to. Pete’s the type of guy, with his personality, he gets Baltimore.
“Pete’s not a foo-foo, how big your car is, how fancy your clothes are. Pete’s not that guy. Pete takes things at face value. He’s going to be a good fit there. People are going to like him.”
Showalter spoke with Alonso on the phone Wednesday, and he offered advice to his former player just like he would have in his former office at Citi Field.
“Don’t try to be something you’re not,” Showalter said he told Alonso. “Your example is going to mean so much.”
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Showalter, who managed the Orioles from 2010 to 2018, said Alonso is someone the Orioles’ younger clubhouse can “look to when things get a little sideways.” In 2025, Baltimore began the season slow and let it spiral into a 15-28 start that resulted in manager Brandon Hyde’s firing and later a trade deadline firesale.
The Orioles clearly sought out a veteran for their clubhouse through their reported interest in designated hitter Kyle Schwarber, who instead re-signed with the Philadelphia Phillies. The Orioles then pivoted to Alonso, who Showalter described as business-like in his approach.
“He takes his work seriously,” Showalter said. “He’s never messing around in the cage, never messing around with ground balls. Pete’s a serious man about his vocation. … He’s a good teammate. He’s the same personality. You’re not going to ever have somebody say, ‘Well, Pete’s in a bad mood today.’ He’s appreciative of everything the game’s given him.”
Showalter also described Alonso as steady and consistent. “He’s not going to overthink things,” the skipper said. Alonso has barely been hurt in his career, playing 152 or more games in all six of his full seasons, including all 162 each of the past two years.
“It’s very obvious that he gets the sixth tool. He posts up and plays,” Showalter said. “It doesn’t matter if you’ve got all these tools and statistics, but if you’re not on the field, you can’t deliver any of them.”
While Alonso is one of baseball’s best power threats, Showalter said that he’s “more of a pure hitter than people think” with his approach and his ability to hit the ball the other way. And when he does run into one, Showalter said, “it don’t matter where you put the fences.”
With the additions of Alonso and outfielder Taylor Ward, the Orioles could have one of the best lineups in the American League, especially if the young core of Gunnar Henderson, Adley Rutschman, Jordan Westburg, Colton Cowser, Jackson Holliday and Samuel Basallo bounce back or take steps forward in 2026.
The biggest question now facing the Orioles this winter is their starting rotation, which doomed the club to begin last season. The unit was one of the worst in the sport and was a major reason Baltimore finished the season with a 75-87 record.
“I think everybody still knows it’s about, can you solve the pitching? Pete gives you a little more margin for error, but no team wants to go into their season going, ‘How much is enough? How many runs is going to be enough?’” Showalter said. “The ownership sent a nice message to the fans there, and they still got some things they’re going to try to do, I’m sure. But they’ve got to solve the pitching challenge.”
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