Shane Baz is the third eye-popping move made by the Orioles this month and there’s more than a week remaining before the calendar runs out in 2025.

Do you see what I see?

Closer Ryan Helsley signed his two-year, $28 million contract on the 1^st, and first baseman Pete Alonso signed his five-year, $155 million deal on the 11^th. President of baseball operations/general manager Mike Elias hopped back into the trade market by acquiring Baz from the Rays for four prospects and a Competitive Balance Round A pick – the 33^rd overall in the draft.

Baz never seemed to be tied to the Orioles or anyone else. The Rays apparently weren’t in a major rush to move him. It just happened organically, as these things are wont to do.

“That’s not necessarily the direction we were looking to go because of how highly we think of Shane,” Rays president of baseball operations Erik Neander told the media. “But we had teams coming after him aggressively, and there is a point where, if a certain threshold is reached, you can’t help but have to consider it.”

The circumstances aren’t an exact duplicate. Pete Alonso played only for the Mets before the Orioles signed him as a free agent. Bobby Bonilla split his first season between the White Sox and Pirates, signed with the Mets in December 1991, his deferred money through 2035 creating a legendary deal, and got traded to the Orioles at the 1995 deadline.

That’s close enough for Bonilla to relate.

Bobby Bo knows about going from New York to Baltimore.

“It was fantastic,” Bonilla said yesterday in a video call. “I got a chance to play with Cal Ripken. He broke the (consecutive games) record that year. We were a very good hitting team. I mean, if I’m not mistaken, we led the league in home runs. I think we had like (seven) guys hit 20 or more bombs in that lineup.”

The Orioles belted a then-record 257 home runs and had eight players finish in double digits, led by Brady Anderson’s 50. Jeffrey Hammonds hit nine to just fall short.

The Orioles were linked to Michael King pretty much from the outset of free agency in their quest to land a starting pitcher, and nothing has changed in the many weeks that followed.

Framber Valdez also is in play and the Orioles already met with him at the general managers meetings. Ranger Suárez, too, seems to fall in their price range, given that they spent $155 million over five years for first baseman Pete Alonso.

It wouldn’t be completely accurate to say that money is no object, but it isn’t nearly as much of an obstruction anymore.

“We have resources to do other deals, as well, and we don't have particular constraints,” control owner David Rubenstein said again at the Alonso press conference. “We don't have any particular limit that we imposed on Mike (Elias). So as long as the baseball rules are what they are today, we can do what we want to do, and we're prepared to do what we need to do to get the team to be on a championship level. We're ready to go.

“If there are other great players we can get, we'll try to get 'em.”

For anyone still processing what happened with the Orioles last week … Ryan Noda stayed in the organization after clearing waivers.

We don’t know what’s going on with catchers Maverick Handley and Drew Romo after they were designated for assignment.

There’s a little more to talk about, of course. The Orioles have a new first baseman. The buzz hasn’t faded.

Let’s keep the discussion going.

* Pete Alonso’s homework on the Orioles extended to a ballpark where he played 10 games as a visitor, resulting in three doubles, five home runs and 11 RBIs.

When a series of events unfolds as they did for the Orioles at the Winter Meetings and in the days that followed, there’s almost too much to digest. It’s like devouring a holiday feast but not having to adjust the holes in your belt.

Fans are hoping that their team keeps behaving like gluttons.

Beyond the minor league depth moves, the Orioles have signed outfielder Leody Taveras to a $2 million contract, traded for reliever Andrew Kittredge and power-hitting outfielder Taylor Ward, signed closer Ryan Helsley to a two-year, $28 million contract with an opt-out, and secured power-hitting first baseman Pete Alonso with a five-year, $155 million contract.

It’s the second week in December.

Alonso’s deal includes a $12.5 million signing bonus and an $18.5 million salary in 2026, followed by payments of $31 million in each of the next four seasons. He can receive award bonuses and has no-trade protection that allows him to reject eight clubs.

The Winter Meetings have come and gone, and not much has changed for the Nationals since they traded Jose A. Ferrer to the Mariners last weekend before heading to Orlando.

We did, however, see some changes across baseball’s greater landscape, most notably the Orioles signing first base slugger Pete Alonso to a five-year, $155 million contract. That was one of the first major dominoes to fall this offseason, with many more now to follow.

New president of baseball operations Paul Toboni didn’t leave the Winter Meetings with a splashy free agent signing nor another trade completed. He used the week to lay down groundwork for the deals he’ll make between now and the start of spring training.

But with other moves from around the league, we can now speculate on possible avenues he could pursue to fill out the 2026 roster.

After Wednesday’s blockbuster news of Alonso signing with the Orioles, a train of thought led to the possibility of the first-ever trade between the Nats and O’s.

The Orioles went into the Winter Meetings with a full 40-man roster and kept it that way. They just changed some of the names.

The big one, of course, is first baseman Pete Alonso, with the ink now dried on a five-year, $155 million contract. To make room, the Orioles designated catcher Maverick Handley for assignment.

"I think as the free agent process, once that kind of starts, you really kind of don’t know what’s going to happen," Alonso said at yesterday's introductory press conference. "It’s this weird baseball limbo. But then as you start to sit down and really start to think about things, you kind of have some time to really reflect. As the offseason progressed, realistically, as we got further along, this partnership to me, it was just head and shoulders above everybody else. This park, this city, this team, this organization, everything combined, everything just clicked. And for me, it was the perfect fit, not just as a player but for family life, too.

"I could go up and down a laundry list of things, there were just so many boxes, and every single box this place checked. For us, we’re just so pleased, and for this organization to see me, not just in the now but in the future, I mean, it’s such a blessing. I can’t wait to play, I can’t wait to perform, I can’t wait to win games.”

Switch-hitting catcher Drew Romo was a DFA victim Wednesday, which led to the understandable assumption that the Orioles were clearing a spot for Alonso. But no. They claimed left-hander Josh Walker on waivers from the Braves, bringing him back to the organization.

A large stuffed polar bear sat at the end of a long table earlier today for Pete Alonso’s introductory press conference as the Orioles’ new first baseman. The player who inspired its arrival for an event that more prominently featured the control owner, president of baseball operations and the agent who brokered the deal was struggling to button his No. 25 white jersey.

“This is harder than hitting,” he quipped.

The Orioles didn’t invest $155 million over five years for Alonso to dress quickly.

One of the biggest moments in franchise history, with multiple billboards along I-95 celebrating his arrival, delivered a five-time All-Star, a great deal of optimism and some laughs. 

New manager Craig Albernaz and bench coach Donnie Ecker sat in the front row. Mike Elias referred to it as “a very momentous and historic day for the Orioles franchise.”

To make a big splash at the Winter Meetings, the Orioles shed their conservative ways and took the Polar Bear Plunge.

The reception from the industry and fan base was anything but chilly.

Pete Alonso passed his physical and signed his five year, $155 million contract, giving the Orioles an infield composed entirely of Scott Boras clients – Alonso at first base, Jackson Holliday at second, Gunnar Henderson at shortstop and Jordan Westburg at third.

Long gone are the days when the Orioles hated to deal with Boras and tried to avoid negotiating with him – at any cost.

Executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias, appearing as a call-in guest last night on the “Orioles Hot Stove Show,” explained how quickly the deal came together.

ORLANDO – The Orioles looked like they were going to complete the most eventful Winter Meetings without actually doing anything.

They were rumored to be on just about every free agent, and certainly the most expensive. They offered designated hitter Kyle Schwarber $150 million over five years, but the Phillies matched it and got him. They remained in the hunt for outfielders Kyle Tucker and Cody Bellinger, the former ranked No. 1 on every board with a projected cost in the neighborhood of $400 million over 11 years. They were serious enough about first baseman Pete Alonso to schedule a face-to-face meeting and be viewed by at least a few industry folks as the dark horse pick to sign him.

I go back to an observation, which I shared yesterday morning, that Alonso was going to fall in their laps. My advice: Always wear a cup.

This is a monumental statement from the Orioles, who went from back-to-back playoff appearances to last place and a decline in attendance.

Alonso’s deal is the second-largest financial commitment made by the Orioles after Chris Davis’ seven-year, $161 million contract in 2016 that kept him in Baltimore. Adam Jones received a six-year, $85.5 million extension in 2012.

As first reported by ESPN’s Jeff Passan and confirmed by Roch Kubatko and others, there’s a Polar Bear coming to Baltimore. 

What exactly does Pete Alonso bring to the table?

Most evidently, pop. Alonso is one of the best power bats that the game has to offer. Since entering the league in 2019, a season in which he led all of baseball with 53 longballs, Alonso has the third-most home runs of any player, trailing only Aaron Judge and Kyle Schwarber, and the most runs driven in with 712. 

He’s not just a power hitter, either. Last season, his .272 batting average was 16th-best in the National League, and his .347 on-base percentage was 21st. While he did strike out 162 times, his 22.8 percent strikeout rate was only slightly below league average.

While that batting average was 20 points higher than his career average, his underlying metrics would suggest that it was no fluke. 

ORLANDO – It wasn’t just talk.

And these weren't just another Winter Meetings for the Orioles.

The club is finalizing a five-year, $155 million contract with first baseman Pete Alonso, pending the results of a physical. A source has confirmed the agreement.

President of baseball operations/general manager Mike Elias sought a big bat and didn’t care about the position, in this case the crowd at first base. He also sought a clubhouse leader for a team relying so heavily on its young core.

Those boxes are checked.

ORLANDO – Having Kyle Schwarber come off the board yesterday is expected to create the proverbial domino effect, which is a popular phrase at the Winter Meetings. A highly sought free agent reaches agreement on a contract and others begin to move, as well.

The Orioles could play their own version of the game.

They had serious interest in Schwarber, enough that they offered the same five years and $150 million that he accepted from the Phillies, as first reported by The Athletic and confirmed by an industry source, and plugging a designated hitter into the lineup would have led to some sort of trade. The same is true if they sign an outfielder or first baseman, and they remain linked to both Kyle Tucker and Pete Alonso.

According to another industry source, the Orioles were given a final chance at Schwarber if they attached an extra year to their offer. Schwarber turns 33 in March.

Agent Scott Boras had quips for days but didn’t bite when asked which teams were meeting with Alonso. The Orioles were reported to be in that group.

Here’s hoping that everyone had a wonderful holiday spent with the ones you love. And that you tolerated the rest without incident.

I put a bow on the mailbag and noticed some extra questions. It can’t be emptied. It just keeps reproducing like Philip Rivers.

Here they are.

Haven't asked in a bit but what is the status on upgrading the parks sound system? I know it would be helpful for all.
Any major upgrades won’t be completed until 2026, but I’ve heard that improvements are planned for the sound system to get through 2025. And I agree that it would be helpful. As I’ve said, we can’t hear anything clearly from the press box, including the Opening Day ceremonies. I just tell Rob Long or whoever has the microphone that they looked good.

Will the Orioles sign a free agent before the New Year or are they on vacation until then?
They don’t shut down over the holidays. Deals can get done. It only takes a phone call. But I’ll predict that we don’t get more news until after Jan. 1. Just a guess.

The Nationals’ No. 1 need this offseason is no secret. They need a power bat, ideally at first base but potentially at another position if there’s a good match.

This team ranked last in the National League with 135 home runs. It ranked second-to-last in home runs by first basemen with 14. The only returning candidates to play that position are Juan Yepez and Andres Chaparro, who combined for 10 homers over 381 plate appearances.

If they want to put forth a more productive lineup next season, it’s the obvious upgrade that must occur this winter.

To date, they haven’t upgraded at first base. Nor have they upgraded at any position so far during an awfully quiet offseason. The good news: Nobody has.

Not a single free agent first baseman has signed anywhere yet. And the list includes a good number of prominent names just waiting to be courted and locked up.

It doesn’t take tremendous insight to figure out the Nationals’ No. 1 need this winter. They need to add power to a lineup that simply hasn’t had enough of that in recent years.

The Nats ranked 29th in the majors in home runs each of the last two seasons, and their total actually went down from 2023 (151) to 2024 (135). In today’s game, that simply won’t cut it. Six of baseball’s top-seven home run-hitting clubs made the playoffs this year, and none of the bottom six did.

Club officials do have hope for an increase in power production from several key young players, especially James Wood and Dylan Crews as they embark on their first full big league seasons. And if Brady House arrives as expected, the 2021 first round pick should provide some much needed slugging potential as well.

But make no mistake, the Nationals also have to acquire power from outside the organization this offseason. And that has to come from someone closer to the prime of his career than Joey Gallo, Eddie Rosario or Jesse Winker was upon their bargain-basement acquisitions last offseason.

If Mike Rizzo truly has the green light from ownership to pursue bigger name free agents, it stands to reason the longtime general manager will be making his pitch to a number of prominent sluggers seeking employment. And in a perfect world, the slugger the Nats wind up getting would play first base.

It’s still early November, so the Hot Stove is far from heating up. But with this past week getting us further removed from the end of the World Series, the offseason – specifically free agency – has officially begun.

For the Nationals, that means it may be time to make some significant offseason additions to the major league roster after years of waiting for their in-house prospects to reach the bigs, opening the window for them to compete again.

Mike Rizzo reportedly said at the General Manager Meetings this week in San Antonio that he thinks the Nats could make a big free agent signing this winter if it makes sense for the club, which would be a stark contrast to the organization’s philosophy over the last three offseasons.

So with that in mind, let’s take a look at MLB Trade Rumors’ list of the top 50 free agents and which players its staff predicts will land in Washington …

1B PETE ALONSO
Top 50 rank: 7
Contract: Five years, $125 million