Pete Alonso

And as long as I'm healthy or even if things don't feel good, it doesn't matter because any day that ends in Y, I'm ready to go out there as long as I'm able to.

Hey, Pete, this is Andy Kuska from the Baltimore Banner.

This question is actually for you, Mike.

This is obviously a flexing of the financial muscle that we haven't seen in some time in Baltimore.

What made now the right moment for a deal like this?

And how much is ownership involvement in having something like this?

I think there's a lot of factors that led to this being the right moment.

First of all, it's the right player.

First and foremost, as I said, we're really looking to take our lineup over the top with a middle of the other bat and an impact hitter and a right-handed one, the boot, which is very rare right now to have his kind of power and production and consistency from the right side of the plate in this game.

It's a pretty special commodity.

But also, we have the talent base, as evidenced by the way this team has played over the last four years, and we've got a tremendous core to build around, but we finally have so many pieces in place from the ownership group on down to grow this franchise, invest in players, but also facilities, the business part of our operation, the ballpark, everything that we're doing.

We have...

David and the rest of the group to thank.

And I think we've got just a whole new era in front of us.

And signing Pete is a big part of that, but also a big symbol of where we think we're going.

So a lot to look forward to.

And the 2026 team and season is just a small part of that.

That's really high praise.

I appreciate that.

And again, I also want to thank you as well, Mr. Rubenstein, for bringing me on, trusting me with the development of the young guys and not just being a leader, but...