Despite the overcrowding in their outfield and surplus of lefty bats, the Boston Red Sox have extended an offer to star free agent outfielder Juan Soto. Boston remains in the race alongside the three other teams vying for Soto's services, but it's hardly considered a "favorite."
If the Sox miss out on Soto, they'll need a righty bat to balance the lineup. Tyler O'Neill, the 2024 team's home run leader, could be an ideal fit.
Some fans and reporters were shocked Nick Pivetta received a qualifying offer from Boston and O'Neill did not. The outfielder is injury-prone, though, and the $21.05 million payday would've been a huge risk spent on him. Regardless, O'Neill posted a rebound season in a walk year, and the Red Sox are sure to have some competition if they want him back in their pastures next year.
Andy McCollough of The Athletic created a Black Friday-themed free agent shopping list for every team in MLB and suggested the Pittsburgh Pirates should try and sign O'Neill to bring some power to their outfield.
The Athletic predicts the Pirates will sign Red Sox's 2024 home run leader Tyler O'Neill
O' MY O'NEILL.
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) July 28, 2024
TYLER GOES YARD AGAIN FOR HIS SECOND MULTI-HR GAME THIS WEEK! pic.twitter.com/dzmMfpYJuU
Bryan Reynolds has been solid for Pittsburgh in left field, and he led the team in almost every offensive metric last season. If the Pirates ever want to break out of the basement of the National League Central and put their excellent pitching to good use, they could use more than Reynolds' 24 homers on their way to contention. Oneil Cruz can pack the occasional punch, but Jack Suwinski, Joshua Palacios and Ji Hwan Bae don't move the needle when it comes to slugging.
O'Neill could help the Pirates with a much-needed power boost, but his 2024 season showed he's tailor-made for Fenway Park. Twenty-five of his 31 homers left the yard over left field, which is exactly the righty pop the Red Sox need to round out their batting order.
The slugger is also a two-time Gold Glove-winning outfielder who could become a solid defensive option for Boston. His defensive metrics took a hit after his first season with the Red Sox, which is reasonable after his first season playing most of his games in Fenway's crazy dimensions. If his defense catches up to what fans know he can do in 2025, O'Neill could fit every one of Boston's position player needs (besides durability, unfortunately).
The Red Sox are more involved in the Soto market than most fans and reporters expected, but there's still a very real chance they walk away from Scott Boras' negotiating table empty-handed. If Boston whiffs on Soto, it will have to turn its attention to O'Neill quickly to swipe him from the Pirates or one of the many other teams interested in his signature.