Sarah Brown
Tyler O’Neill making his way around second base during a Red Sox game.
As the Major League Baseball (MLB) season is wrapping up, hopeful teams advance in the postseason, and preparations for next year have begun. One of the biggest talking points before every upcoming season is which players are about to hit free agency. This is always a great opportunity to shake things up in the baseball world, with strategic trades ultimately creating more variety and chances for teams to win a coveted World Series Title.
One player of note to watch is Tyler O’Neill, a left fielder currently playing for the Boston Red Sox. Originally from Burnaby, BC, Canada, O’Neill first signed with the team in December 2023, joining through a trade deal with the St. Louis Cardinals.
With a current batting average of 0.241 and 31 home runs this season, O’Neill is a primary candidate for many teams; his current five-year deal projection is at 90 million dollars. Recently, however, he has seemingly made it clear what he would do if offered another contract from the Sox.
"I really hope Boston [takes] interest in me. It’s been an awesome year and I’ve made a lot of good relationships and a lot of good friendships here,” O’Neill said in an interview with New England Sports Network (NESN) discussing his upcoming free agency. “Boston has definitely been one of my favorite places to play.”
The feeling seems to be mutual, as many fans are extremely hopeful for a Red Sox future that has O’Neill in it. It is rumored that the Red Sox will offer him the 21.05 million dollar qualifying offer rate that the MLB has set in place for the season, the highest ever seen in the league. However, nothing has been confirmed by Red Sox staff so far. It is also expected that other teams, specifically the Philadelphia Phillies, have been in talks about recruiting him for his projected salary. If he did choose to sign with another team, the Red Sox would still be gaining draft-pick compensation for the loss of a free agent, though the possibility of him agreeing to an offer with his current team seems high. However, his recent injuries in the past few years have the possibility of lessening his offers, as they have already interfered with his ability to play in multiple games this season. This, however, doesn’t seem like it would be enough for the Red Sox to pass on resigning him. We will have to wait and see what the new season brings.
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