Orioles land former Red Sox star Tyler O’Neill on 3-year $49.5 million deal

The Baltimore Orioles have signed former Boston Red Sox star Tyler O'Neill on a 3-year, $49.5 million deal from free agency.

Orioles land former Red Sox star Tyler O’Neill on 3-year $49.5 million deal

Tyler O'Neill (Image via The Boston Globe)

The 2024 free agency market has picked up heat in the past few days. The Baltimore Orioles are the latest team to jump into action in the offseason. The team has landed former Boston Red Sox star Tyler O’Neill on a 3-year, $49.5 million deal.

As per reports from Jake Rill of MLB.com, this is the first time that the O’s have signed a free agent on a multi-year deal since Mike Elias became general manager in November 2018. In doing so, the team has filled one of the biggest holes in the roster at the moment.

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As per MLB insider Mark Feinsand, O’Neill is yet to undergo a physical. In his 3-year deal with the team, he does have the opt-out clause for the 2025 season. This means he could walk out of the team after the 2025 season and become a free agent again if he decides to exercise it.

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O’Neill joined the Boston Red Sox after spending six seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2023. During his lone year with the team, the right-hander slammed 31 home runs and had 61 RBI in 113 games. He batted with a slash line of .241/.336/.511 in the 2024 campaign.

The 29-year-old will now make his way to the league rivals of Red Sox. During the offseason, one of their star sluggers, Anthony Santander became a free agent. In the 2024 season, Santander smashed 44 home runs and played an integral part in the O’s offensive.

With the team facing the likely prospect of losing him, they have now signed O’Neill as a replacement for him. The Canadian will now join the Orioles’ batting lineup which consists of power-hitting left-handers Colton Cowser, Cedric Mullins, and Heston Kjerstad.

This is though not the only signing they have made recently. The Orioles have also reached an agreement to sign another former American League East rival.

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Baltimore Orioles sign ex-New York Yankees catcher Gary Sanchez on one-year deal

A few hours after the news broke out that the Baltimore Orioles had agreed to terms with Tyler O’Neill, another update regarding them came out. The team has also signed veteran catcher Gary Sanchez, agreeing on a one-year, $8.5 million deal.

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Gary Sanchez during his time with the Yankees (Image via NY Times)

The ex-New York Yankees star has a 10-year experience in the MLB. After spending seven years with the Bronx Bombers, Sanchez has been part of the Minnesota Twins, the New York Mets, the San Diego Padres, and the Milwaukee Brewers.

The two-time All-Star hit 11 home runs and had 31 RBI in 89 appearances for the Brewers in the 2024 campaign. He posted a .220/.307/.392 slash line while serving as a backup catcher to William Contreras.

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The Orioles once again had a strong regular season and finished with a 91-71 record, clinching the postseason for a second season running. However, just like the 2023 campaign, they suffered an early elimination from the postseason. This is something they would look to avoid with these new signings.