Tyler O'Neill Finds New Team, Signs 3-Year $49.5 Million Contract with Baltimore Orioles

Jon Heyman was the first to report O’Neill’s contract. The official terms are three years and $49.5 million. The contract also includes an opt-out after the 2025 season.

O’Neill’s signing helps the Orioles fill the void not only in their outfield but also in their lineup with the free agency of Anthony Santander. Santander was the starting right fielder last season for the Orioles and was a key offensive piece of their lineup. The switch hitter slashed .235/.308/.506 across 155 games. He also had 44 home runs and 102 RBI. Santander spent eight seasons in Baltimore, hitting a total of 155 home runs, but with O’Neill’s signing, it is assumed he will join a new team.

O’Neill will now join his third team in the last three seasons. He played for the St. Louis Cardinals from 2018 through 2023 before being traded to the Boston Red Sox. Boston acquired the outfielder for two minor league pitchers, Victor Santos and Nick Robertson, and he did not disappoint in his lone season with the Sox.

Despite four stints on the IL across the 2024 season, O’Neill managed to play in the second most games of his career with 113 and had the second-best offensive season of his entire career. In 2024, he managed to slash .241/.336/.511. His 31 home runs for the season led Boston, while his 61 RBI ranked fourth. While it was likely that O’Neill wouldn’t return to Boston based on their current outfield situation, his right-handed bat will be missed in a lineup that leans heavily left-handed.

Boston will now need to replace his right-handed power in the lineup, and with Willy Adames having signed with the San Francisco Giants Saturday, the options for free-agent bats are starting to dwindle. The Red Sox remain invested in wooing Juan Soto to join them. While he is a left-handed hitter, his skills will help offset the loss in production that O’Neill’s departure creates, especially against left-handed pitchers. Last season alone, he slashed .313/.430/.750 in 156 plate appearances against lefties.

For O’Neill, he will look to help a young Orioles’ core make it back to the playoffs following their Wild Card round exit at the hands of the Kansas City Royals. With his addition, the lineup will only be deeper as he’ll play alongside Gunnar Henderson, Adley Rutschman, Jordan Westburg, Colton Cowser, and Cedric Mullins. Add to it the fact that Baltimore is moving in the left-field fence at Camden Yards, and he could put up another monster season that would allow him to opt out of his new deal and hit the market once more at 30.