Pete Alonsos departure leaves another hole Mets need to address

ORLANDO, Fla.— Another day, another piece of the Mets’ franchise fabric removed.

Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Mike Puma about the inside buzz on the Mets.Pete Alonso joined the ranks of the former Mets on Wednesday, agreeing to a five-year contract worth $155 million with the Orioles, according to industry sources.

The agreement occurred one day after Edwin Díaz departed Queens for the Dodgers as a free agent.Alonso, the franchise’s all-time home run leader, did not receive an offer from the Mets, according to sources.Alonso visited the Winter Meetings on Tuesday — driving 90 minutes from his home in Tampa — to meet with interested teams, but didn’t convene with Mets officials.Since the season’s conclusion, the Mets have moved on from Alonso, Díaz and Brandon Nimmo, leaving holes that must be addressed by president of baseball operations David Stearns.Alonso’s departure shouldn’t have been a surprise given the two sides nearly didn’t reach agreement last winter.

Alonso ultimately returned on a two-year deal worth $54 million that included an opt-out.Alonso announced immediately after the season concluded his intention to exercise that opt-out, and followed through after the World Series concluded.“I loved being a Met,” Alonso said following the final Mets game.

“Hopefully they appreciated me.”In 2023, Alonso rejected a seven-year contract offer from the Mets worth $158 million.His new Orioles contract, added to his salaries over the past two seasons, places his guaranteed dollars at $205 million over the same seven years.

He will jump into the AL East in a hitter-friendly ballpark in Baltimore — a venue in which he’s played 10 games and blasted five homers.Alonso was in position to cash in following a season with the Mets in which he posted a .272/.347/.524 slash line with 38 homers and 126 RBIs.He played in all 162 games for a second straight season and received ...