The Boston Red Sox clearly came out ahead in their offseason trade with the St. Louis Cardinals.
Boston acquired outfielder Tyler O’Neill from St. Louis, and he has quickly become one of the team’s key offensive players this season. After spending his first six seasons with the Cardinals, where injuries limited his potential, O’Neill has found a new lease on life in Boston.
Despite a strong showing in 2021, including a top-eight finish in NL MVP voting and two Gold Glove Awards, O’Neill struggled to stay healthy and play consistently. However, this year in Boston, he’s been a standout, already appearing in 105 games, hitting 31 home runs, driving in 61 RBIs, and contributing with 18 doubles, all while playing excellent defense.
The Red Sox were aware that O’Neill would become a free agent this winter, but his performance is making it difficult for them to not consider a long-term deal. With a roster full of promising outfielders and a projected contract value of around five years and $90 million, the Red Sox will face tough choices.
They might need to trade one of their other outfielders to afford keeping O’Neill. With options like Ceddanne Rafaela, Jarren Duran, Wilyer Abreu, and Roman Anthony in the minors, along with Masataka Yoshida—who hasn’t played in the outfield this year—the Red Sox have some hard decisions ahead this winter.
