As the Boston Red Sox pursued Juan Soto early in the offseason, their 2024 home run leader became an afterthought.
Outfielder Tyler O’Neill, who thrived in a Red Sox uniform and enjoyed his time in Boston, was open to a return. Fenway Park played to his strengths, helping him launch 31 home runs last season—his highest total since hitting 34 in 2021, when he received MVP votes.
However, in December, O’Neill signed a three-year, $49.5 million deal with the Baltimore Orioles—a significant contract for someone who played only 113 games the previous season. Speaking with Rob Bradford of WEEI and the “Baseball Isn’t Boring” podcast, O’Neill reflected on the move.
“When it came down to it, I’m very thankful I signed before my market fully developed. A lot of guys, myself included, were waiting for Soto to sign, which held things up. But the Orioles approached me early with a strong offer—it was in my range, they offered multiple years, and I’m happy with where I landed,” O’Neill said.
Given the mutual interest in a Boston reunion, the Red Sox may have viewed O’Neill as a fallback option after missing out on Soto. But before they could even shift gears, their division rivals swooped in and secured him.
O’Neill has plenty of reasons to be excited about Baltimore. Like the Red Sox, the Orioles boast a young, talented core, and he immediately steps in as a veteran presence. With Anthony Santander departing for Toronto, O’Neill could take over as an everyday outfielder and the team’s top home run threat.
And he’s poised to do just that. Before the 2022 season, Baltimore extended its left field wall to 398 feet at its deepest point, significantly reducing home runs at Oriole Park. However, ahead of the 2025 season, the Orioles brought the wall back in, with the deepest part now at 376 feet—a distance O’Neill believes he can easily clear. The change in dimensions was one of the key reasons he chose Baltimore.
For Boston, the hope is that O’Neill doesn’t adjust too well to his new home ballpark. While he should fit in seamlessly with the Orioles’ lineup, it would sting for Red Sox fans to see last year’s home run leader turn into a divisional nemesis just one season later.