The Baltimore Orioles made their first splash of the 2024 offseason by signing Tyler O’Neill to a three-year contract. The deal is worth $49.5 million and includes an opt out after the first year. O’Neill spent the 2024 season in Boston with the Red Sox after playing in St. Louis from 2018-23.
Power is the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about Tyler O’Neill. He slugged 31 homers in 2024, which was the second most in his career in a season (34 in 2021). O’Neill is a typical power hitter with a decent batting average. He hit .241 in 113 games for the Red Sox last season and is a career .246 hitter. A lot of his home runs were solo last season, as he only had 61 RBI.
While this is a solid signing for the O’s, it most likely means the team will lose Anthony Santander in free agency. O’Neill mainly played in right field and designated hitter in 2024, which is where Santander sits for the O’s currently. Baltimore will have to make a tough decision regarding Santander, as they should spend the rest of their money on starting pitching. Corbin Burnes is still on the market after declining the $20 million option the team offered him last month. Burnes is one of many pitchers the O’s are keeping an eye on along with Max Fried, Garrett Crochet, and Roki Sasaki.
Tyler O’Neill will look to jump start an O’s offense that struggled tremendously down the stretch in 2024. The 29-year-old is set to play for his third team in his career, although he is staying in the division this time.
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