Tyler O’Neill remains in the American League East.
The former Boston Red Sox outfielder has agreed to a three-year deal worth $49.5 million Jon Heyman of the New York Post. The deal reportedly includes an opt-out after the first season.
The deal rewards a resurgent season for the former St. Louis Cardinals standout, who had a career year in 2021 but struggled to replicate that form until last year. In 2021, O’Neill finished eighth in the MVP voting and won a Gold Glove while hitting .286/.352/.560 with 34 home runs. He hit just .229/.310/.397 over the next two seasons, leading to an area trade to Boston.
O’Neill didn’t quite reproduce his 2021 numbers, but he impressed enough to land a multi-year deal in free agency. His playing style continues to be characterized by high risk and high reward at the plate. His peripherals are among the worst of any MLB regulars when it comes to strikeouts and whiffs, but he makes hard contact every time he touches the ball and can draw a walk.
All of that makes O’Neill a natural replacement for Anthony Santander, a hitter with a similar profile who won a Silver Slugger in right field for the Orioles. Santander remains a free agent and is now almost certainly not coming back.
Baltimore also has more on its to-do list after a somewhat disappointing 91-win season. His 2024 ace, Corbin Burnes, remains a free agent and the team is looking to re-sign him or replace him atop the rotation. Neither option will be cheap, but it won’t be as expensive as what the Red Sox are trying to do in the outfield with O’Neill on his way out.
