Tyler O’Neill remains in the American League East.
The former Boston Red Sox outfielder agreed to a three-year, $49.5 million contract, according to 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 this year. In 2021, O’Neill finished eighth in 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 a change of scenery to Boston.
O’Neill didn’t replicate his 2021 numbers, but he made enough of an impression to earn a multi-year deal in free agency. His style of play is still characterized by high risk and high reward at the plate. His peripherals are some of the worst of any MLB regular when it comes to strikeouts and strikeouts, but he makes hard contact every time he touches the ball and can 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 this year. Santander remains a free agent and almost certainly won’t return now.
Baltimore also has more things on its to-do list after a somewhat disappointing 91-win season. Their 2024 ace, Corbin Burnes, remains a free agent and the team is looking to re-sign him or replace him at the top of the rotation. Neither option will be cheap, but they won’t be as expensive as what the Red Sox are trying to do in the corner outfield with O’Neill on his way out.