Last offseason, the Boston Red Sox took a chance on Tyler O'Neill in the trade market. He struggled in his final two years with the Cardinals, missing about half of the games due to injury and only managing a .707 OPS in the games he did play.
The gamble paid off. O'Neill put up a .847 OPS and led the team with 31 homers despite playing just 113 games due to injuries. His peripheral stats also looked much better, with his expected slugging, barrel rate and hard-hit rate all ranking in the 90th percentile or higher. He was a big piece of what was a solid Red Sox offense last year.
O'Neill is a free agent this offseason for the first time in his career, and several potential suitors have emerged, including the Twins and the Cubs. But the Red Sox aren't out of the mix themselves, and there have been rumors that they're pursuing a short extension with O'Neill. He did meet with the Red Sox on Nov. 5, and there was mutual interest in his return for 2025 and perhaps beyond. Here's why that's an ideal solution for the Sox.
Here are all the reasons the Red Sox should pursue another deal with Tyler O'Neill
Tyler O'Neill: 2
— MLB (@MLB) September 8, 2024
Green Monster: 0 pic.twitter.com/i0bGRaxoXV
Firstly, O'Neill is a great fit in Boston. As a right-handed hitter with serious power, he benefits greatly from the Green Monster. And although his defense wasn't great last year, he is a two-time Gold Glover, and it's likely that he'll improve from a year of experience in Fenway's outfield.
Second, he has plenty of potential. We saw how good he can be in 2021, when he slashed .286/.352/.560 with 34 homers and won a Gold Glove en route to an eighth-place finish in NL MVP voting. He's also still just 29, and his bounce-back last season proves that he still has some of that 2021 magic.
The biggest concern with O'Neill is the injury risk — 2021 is the only season of his career in which he's played more than 113 games. But if the Red Sox make this a short extension, they won't be risking much. And because of that injury history, it's unlikely that any teams offer him a long-term deal. Current estimates have a potential O'Neill contract at three years, $48.7 million. That seems like a risk the Red Sox can afford to take.