4 teams desperate enough to meet Pete Alonso's absurd contract demands

New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso has already announced that he intends to opt out of his contract, and the veteran slugger has an idea of what he wants to earn on the open market.

The New York Post reported over the weekend that Alonso, a five-time All-Star and two-time Home Run Derby champ, wants at least a seven-year contract. Alonso, who turns 31 in December, is fresh off hitting .272 with 38 homers, 126 RBIs, and a league-leading 41 doubles. His .871 OPS marked his highest since a .941 showing in his rookie year, and Alonso provided the Mets with 3.4 bWAR.

However, plenty of teams might view the idea of giving Alonso a seven-year deal to be, put kindly, ludicrous. We’re nonetheless sure that at least one or two teams will have no problem caving and signing Alonso to exactly what he wants.

For this list, we’ve listed the teams alphabetically, and we’ve also chosen to omit the Mets. We don’t need to attempt justifying how and why the Mets would do everything possible to bring Alonso back for 2026, especially not after their epic collapse.

Baltimore Orioles

Nearly 20 years ago, the Orioles found themselves repeatedly linked to another high-profile, All-Star first baseman in free agency. However, then-Los Angeles Angels slugger Mark Teixeira spurned the Orioles and instead signed with the New York Yankees in December 2008. Could the Orioles and Yankees find themselves in a similar bidding war for Alonso this winter?

We strongly considered listing the Yankees here, but we expect them to opt for a cheaper right-handed option to potentially platoon with Ben Rice. As for the Orioles, they need a dangerous power hitter to terrorize American League East pitching, and Alonso checks every box. 

Would the Orioles give up on former top-20 prospect Coby Mayo this early? Few would fault the O’s if they felt desperate enough to break the bank to add Alonso, even if he’s a first baseman in his early 30s. Besides, the Orioles could always make Alonso a full-time DH if or when they feel the time is right.

Boston Red Sox

Alonso and the Red Sox are a perfect match, and the thought of Alonso and Alex Bregman in the same lineup is frightening. Look, we said that the goal here is to identify teams willing to meet Alonso’s contract demands, even if they do border on the absurd. And a Red Sox organization with only two playoff appearances since their 2018 championship certainly qualifies as one we can see making such a move. 

Triston Casas’ injury history has created a massive hole at first base, and any hopes of Rafael Devers taking up the mantle ended when the Red Sox traded him to the San Francisco Giants earlier this year. The question becomes whether the Red Sox are open to paying Bregman and Alonso, because the latter is expected to opt out of his contract.

As fun as the thought of Alonso and the Green Monster sound, there’s no reason why the Red Sox shouldn’t prioritize Bregman in that scenario. But, that’s a conversation for another day. For now, let’s focus solely on the idea of Boston paying both Alonso and Bregman to win their fifth title this century. 

Houston Astros

October baseball has felt different without the Astros, who missed the postseason for the first time in nearly a decade. Times are changing in Houston, and the Astros’ Christian Walker experiment at first didn't pan out as planned. Walker's .717 OPS marked his lowest since 2021, and his strikeout percentage increased from 24.1% to 27.7%. Perhaps most concerningly is Walker's walk rate plummeting from 10.0% to 6.3%, and he still has two seasons left on a three-year, $60 million deal.

Although Walker’s contract might make a trade difficult, that shouldn’t stop Houston from pursuing Alonso at all costs. This is the time for the Astros to get aggressive and make a risky free agency play, especially with a championship window rapidly closing. Even knowing full well that age and regression could haunt the Astros later, we still feel that gambling on Alonso is the right move now. All is forgiven and accepted if it means winning the World Series.

San Diego Padres

We won't go so far as to say that Luis Arráez's best days are behind him, even if his .719 OPS was his fewest since 2021. However, Arráez hinted that he’ll be playing elsewhere in 2026, even if he wants to stay with the Padres.

“I know it’s my last year here,” Arráez told reporters after the Padres’ NL Wild Card Round loss to the Chicago Cubs. “I’ll be a free agent. But hey, this team is special. They gave me a lot of opportunities. Especially the fans [who] supported me a lot. I want to say thanks to them.”

Arráez's potential departure obviously opens a spot for Alonso, and San Diego has every reason to be desperate. The Padres still haven’t reached the World Series in the Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr. era despite repeatedly making major moves, including the 2022 Juan Soto trade … and the December 2023 Juan Soto trade. Could Alonso be next up to join the Padres?