Tyler O’Neill was ‘surprised at the lack of interest’ from Red Sox
“There just wasn’t that push from that side to get me.”
Tyler O’Neill spent one season with the Red Sox. During that time, the outfielder played in 113 games, hit a team high of 31 home runs, and was fourth on the team with 61 RBIs.
At the start of the offseason, O’Neill was a contender to receive a one-year qualifying offer. However, the Red Sox ended up extending the offer to pitcher Nick Pivetta, forgoing O’Neill in the hopes of acquiring Juan Soto.
“There just wasn’t that push from that side to get me,” O’Neill said during an appearance on WEEI’s “Baseball Isn’t Boring” podcast. “Boston was caught up in the Soto Sweepstakes, and rightfully so. They should be in that market… But when I’m getting prioritized interest on the other side with a really good opportunity, there’s nothing for me to wait around on.”
In September, O’Neill made it clear that he hoped to remain in Boston for the 2025 season. As GM meetings went on through November, Boston’s chief baseball officer Craig Breslow also expressed that they had interest in retaining O’Neill. Ultimately though, the talks “never got to anything serious.”
The free agent signed a three-year, $49.5 million deal with the Baltimore Orioles earlier this month. The deal includes a player opt-out after the 2025 season.
“I was surprised at the lack of interest,” O’Neill said of the Red Sox. “Where I fell in the pecking order, I have no idea… It is what it is.”
The Red Sox have no shortage of outfielders on their roster, from Jarren Duran to Rob Refsnyder to Wilyer Abreu. Since losing out on Soto, Boston seems to have turned its focus to pitching — they acquired Garrett Crochet from the White Sox last week in exchange for four prospects. Breslow maintains that there is still interest in adding to the pitching rotation, targeting right-hander Corbin Burnes and potentially the Mariners’ Luis Castillo.
The Red Sox have also reportedly expressed interest in signing right-handed outfielder Teoscar Hernández as a replacement for O’Neill. The 2024 World Series champion is seeking a three-year deal, according to MLB insider Héctor Gómez.
The AL East rival Orioles seem to have moved on from free agent Anthony Santander, despite the right fielder hitting a career high of 44 home runs in 2024. Baltimore then made O’Neill a priority, which the right-handed outfielder said was a “really good feeling.”
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