The Boston Red Sox endured a .500 season last year, so changes were expected. The Red Sox were active in adding players like Garrett Crochet and Alex Bregman to the roster last winter but several other free agents left town, giving Boston a new look heading into 2025.
Some of those departures are thriving in their new environment. But others are having a difficult time getting adjusted. In the case of one former Red Sox slugger, injuries have played a key role in sabotaging his season and gotten him off to a slow start with his new team.
Tyler O’Neill Struggling Mightily After Leaving Red Sox for Orioles in Free Agency
Tyler O’Neill was one player looking for greener pastures after spending last season with the Boston Red Sox. One of his primary goals was finding his form from 2021 when he hit .286/.352/.560 with 34 homers and 80 RBI with the St. Louis Cardinals.
To a degree, O’Neill’s time was a success, hitting .241/.336/.511 with 31 homers and 61 RBI last season. But with a glut of outfielders coming through the pipeline, O’Neill jumped at the chance to sign a three-year, $49.50 million contract with the Baltimore Orioles last winter.
So far, things haven’t panned out for the 30-year-old. Although he homered on Opening Day, he’s hitting just .208/.298/.361 with two total homers and 10 RBI in 21 games. Part of the reason was a neck injury that forced O’Neill to the injured list. But even as he returned last weekend, his arrival hasn’t helped the Orioles’ offense.
Baltimore ranks 23rd in MLB with 3.77 runs per game entering Monday. The Orioles also rank 26th with a .227 batting average and .296 on-base percentage while ranking 21st with a .682 OPS. O’Neil’s absence may have helped those numbers increase but he hasn’t been able to perform when healthy.
O’Neill is still finding a way to square up the ball as his 15.4% barrel rate is in the 89th percentile of major league hitters according to Baseball Savant. But it hasn’t resulted in hard contact with his average exit velocity dropping from 90.9 mph with Boston last year to 87.9 mph with the Orioles this year.
This could also be tied to a neck injury that, in O’Neill’s words, “hurts me looking left,” but he’s bringing some of his regular flaws to the table including a 31.3% whiff rate, a 26.2% strikeout rate and a 29.3% chase rate.
For a player making $16.5 million over each of the next three seasons, it’s not the start the Orioles envisioned. With Baltimore sitting in last place of the American League East with a record of 15-24, O’Neill’s struggles are just one problem they have to solve and something that Red Sox fans can get a kick out of as the season progresses through May.