{"id":130382,"date":"2025-12-14T13:15:10","date_gmt":"2025-12-14T13:15:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=130382"},"modified":"2025-12-14T13:15:10","modified_gmt":"2025-12-14T13:15:10","slug":"report-pete-alonsos-signing-has-suddenly-complicated-the-orioles-first-base-picture-what-once-looked-like-a-clear-plan-now-feels-crowded-and-uncertain-how-will-baltimore-balance-p","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=130382","title":{"rendered":"REPORT: Pete Alonso\u2019s signing has suddenly complicated the Orioles\u2019 first base picture. What once looked like a clear plan now feels crowded and uncertain. How will Baltimore balance power, development, and roster flexibility?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ac_110118068\" class=\"article_chunk type_50\">\n<div class=\"froala-view custom-theme first_text_block\">\n<p>The\u00a0Baltimore Orioles\u00a0have shown unprecedented urgency this offseason, landing their biggest acquisition yet by signing Pete Alonso to a five-year, $155 million contract.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/res.cloudinary.com\/ybmedia\/image\/upload\/c_crop,e_improve,h_513,w_912,x_0,y_0\/c_fill,f_auto,h_900,q_auto,w_1600\/v1\/m\/0\/1\/01e02b7f986b1f9773f20dbca8a36af407b9af38\/01kccdvncedzsxpz8jwr.jpg\" alt=\"Pete Alonso signing complicates the Orioles&amp;#39; first base picture\" \/><\/p>\n<p>While Alonso is a much-needed addition for a Baltimore offense that lacked a consistent power presence last season (no Oriole hit more than 17 home runs in 2025), his arrival changes the organization&#8217;s first base outlook and raises questions about the futures of Ryan Mountcastle and Coby Mayo.<\/p>\n<p>On top of that, the move also impacts the placement of top prospect Samuel Basallo in the lineup.<\/p>\n<p>So who is most affected by Alonso&#8217;s arrival?<\/p>\n<h2>Ryan Mountcastle<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"ac_110118069\" class=\"article_chunk type_51\">\n<div class=\"remote_image_container\"><center><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/images2.minutemediacdn.com\/image\/upload\/c_crop,w_3600,h_2025,x_0,y_0\/c_fill,w_912,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto\/images\/ImagnImages\/mmsport\/inside_the_orioles\/01kccdwf83cx8gt7a1bm.jpg\" \/><\/center><\/p>\n<div class=\"remote_image_caption\">Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"ac_110118070\" class=\"article_chunk type_50\">\n<div class=\"froala-view custom-theme \">\n<p>Mountcastle was limited to 89 games in 2025 due to a right hamstring strain and struggled to make an impact when healthy.<\/p>\n<p>After a strong start to his career, hitting 73 home runs across his first three full seasons, injuries and inconsistency have slowed his momentum.<\/p>\n<p>The 28-year-old has now played fewer than 125 games in each of the past three seasons, and his 2025 production dipped across the board.<\/p>\n<p>He posted career-lows with a .286 on-base percentage, .367 slugging percentage, and .653 OPS, numbers that are cause for concern as he approaches a pivotal contract year.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"ac_110118071\" class=\"article_chunk type_51\"><center><\/p>\n<div class=\"twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered\"><iframe id=\"twitter-widget-0\" class=\"\" title=\"X Post\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/embed\/Tweet.html?dnt=false&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-0&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=1969182672246157367&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.si.com%2Fmlb%2Forioles%2Fonsi%2Fnews%2Fpete-alonso-signing-complicates-the-orioles-first-base-picture-andrew9&amp;sessionId=b408f9e67a4a327656c880e9e24860e404a10d18&amp;siteScreenName=yardbarker&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&amp;width=550px\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" data-gtm-yt-inspected-8=\"true\" data-tweet-id=\"1969182672246157367\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p><\/center><\/div>\n<div class=\"aditude_inline_container aditude_ic_2\">\n<div id=\"aditude_article_inline_2\" class=\"aditude_div\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"ac_110118072\" class=\"article_chunk type_50\">\n<div class=\"froala-view custom-theme \">\n<p>That said, Mountcastle was tendered a contract last month and is entering his final year of arbitration. If healthy, he could still rebound in 2026 and position himself well for free agency next offseason.<\/p>\n<p>However, Alonso&#8217;s presence significantly limits Mountcastle&#8217;s path to everyday playing time at first base.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Coby Mayo<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"ac_110118073\" class=\"article_chunk type_51\">\n<div class=\"remote_image_container\"><center><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/images2.minutemediacdn.com\/image\/upload\/c_crop,w_3600,h_2025,x_0,y_0\/c_fill,w_912,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto\/images\/ImagnImages\/mmsport\/inside_the_orioles\/01kcceb35pb8q4feh0ey.jpg\" \/><\/center><\/p>\n<div class=\"remote_image_caption\">Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"ac_110118074\" class=\"article_chunk type_50\">\n<div class=\"froala-view custom-theme \">\n<p>Alonso&#8217;s signing may have the most direct impact on Mayo, who is now increasingly seen as a trade chip.<\/p>\n<p>The 24-year-old received extended opportunities at first base last season due to Mountcastle&#8217;s injury, but struggled to produce consistently. Mayo finished 2025 with a .217\/.299\/.388 slash line, with 11 home runs and 28 RBIs. However, he did close the year on a positive note, hitting .301\/.393\/.548 in September.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"ac_110118076\" class=\"article_chunk type_51\"><center><\/p>\n<div class=\"twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered\"><iframe id=\"twitter-widget-1\" class=\"\" title=\"X Post\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/embed\/Tweet.html?dnt=false&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-1&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=1998846693119504674&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.si.com%2Fmlb%2Forioles%2Fonsi%2Fnews%2Fpete-alonso-signing-complicates-the-orioles-first-base-picture-andrew9&amp;sessionId=b408f9e67a4a327656c880e9e24860e404a10d18&amp;siteScreenName=yardbarker&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&amp;width=550px\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" data-gtm-yt-inspected-8=\"true\" data-tweet-id=\"1998846693119504674\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p><\/center><\/div>\n<div id=\"ac_110118077\" class=\"article_chunk type_50\">\n<div class=\"froala-view custom-theme \">\n<p>Mayo&#8217;s value is in both his youth and versatility, as he came up through the minor leagues as a third baseman before fully transitioning to first base in 2025. With Alonso seemingly locked in at first base now and\u00a0Jordan Westburg\u00a0anchoring third base, Mayo could be included in trade discussions as the Orioles continue to pursue a frontline starter.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Samuel Basallo<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"ac_110118078\" class=\"article_chunk type_51\">\n<div class=\"remote_image_container\"><center><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/images2.minutemediacdn.com\/image\/upload\/c_crop,w_3600,h_2025,x_0,y_0\/c_fill,w_912,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto\/images\/ImagnImages\/mmsport\/inside_the_orioles\/01kcceta2xxcm8wv51mn.jpg\" \/><\/center><\/p>\n<div class=\"remote_image_caption\">Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"aditude_inline_container aditude_ic_4\">\n<div id=\"aditude_article_inline_4\" class=\"aditude_div\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"ac_110118079\" class=\"article_chunk type_50\">\n<div class=\"froala-view custom-theme \">\n<p>Baltimore&#8217;s top prospect isn&#8217;t going anywhere, but Alonso&#8217;s arrival does affect how Basallo may be used in Baltimore&#8217;s lineup.<\/p>\n<p>With Alonso likely assuming the role as the everyday first baseman, Basallo&#8217;s chances of starting there decrease. Baltimore will want the tandem of\u00a0Adley Rutschman\u00a0and Basallo in the same lineup as much as possible, meaning one of them will often slot in as the designated hitter, a role that now seems more likely for Basallo moving forward.<\/p>\n<p>There is no question Alonso makes Baltimore&#8217;s lineup more formidable. But at the same time, his signing presents\u00a0Mike Elias\u00a0with decisions regarding Mountcastle and Mayo, and whether either could be used as a trade chip to further bolster Baltimore&#8217;s roster.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The\u00a0Baltimore Orioles\u00a0have shown unprecedented urgency this offseason, landing their biggest acquisition yet by signing Pete Alonso to a five-year, $155 million contract. While Alonso is a much-needed&#8230; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":130385,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-130382","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mlb"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>REPORT: Pete Alonso\u2019s signing has suddenly complicated the Orioles\u2019 first base picture. What once looked like a clear plan now feels crowded and uncertain. How will Baltimore balance power, development, and roster flexibility? - NEWS USA<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=130382\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"REPORT: Pete Alonso\u2019s signing has suddenly complicated the Orioles\u2019 first base picture. What once looked like a clear plan now feels crowded and uncertain. How will Baltimore balance power, development, and roster flexibility? - NEWS USA\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The\u00a0Baltimore Orioles\u00a0have shown unprecedented urgency this offseason, landing their biggest acquisition yet by signing Pete Alonso to a five-year, $155 million contract. 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How will Baltimore balance power, development, and roster flexibility? - NEWS USA","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=130382#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=130382#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2-16.png","datePublished":"2025-12-14T13:15:10+00:00","dateModified":"2025-12-14T13:15:10+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/#\/schema\/person\/73dec88841ffe3be696a72d46df40731"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=130382#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=130382"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=130382#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2-16.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2-16.png","width":1080,"height":1080},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=130382#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"REPORT: Pete Alonso\u2019s signing has suddenly complicated the Orioles\u2019 first base picture. What once looked like a clear plan now feels crowded and uncertain. How will Baltimore balance power, development, and roster flexibility?"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/","name":"NEWS USA","description":"Your Daily Dose of Sports News and Updates","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/#\/schema\/person\/73dec88841ffe3be696a72d46df40731","name":"MsThao","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/23335ad696d6700b03ba8d09f84a67eadb58cde164fc044a22845ec8be19771f?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/23335ad696d6700b03ba8d09f84a67eadb58cde164fc044a22845ec8be19771f?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"MsThao"},"url":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?author=3"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/130382","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=130382"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/130382\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":130386,"href":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/130382\/revisions\/130386"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/130385"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=130382"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=130382"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=130382"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}