It's official: Orioles sign O'Neill

The Baltimore Orioles have officially announced the signing of outfielder Tyler O’Neill (Maple Ridge, B.C.). Photo: Baltimore Orioles

December 10, 2024

Official Baltimore Orioles News Release

The Baltimore Orioles today announced that they have agreed to terms with outfielder Tyler O’Neill on a three-year major league contract for the 2025-27 seasons with a player opt-out following 2025.

O’Neill (Maple Ridge, B.C.), 29, slashed .241/.336/.511 with 18 doubles, 31 home runs, 74 runs scored, 61 RBIs, 53 walks, seven hit-by-pitches, and four stolen bases in 113 games with the Boston Red Sox in 2024. His 31 homers led the team, the first Red Sox outfielder to lead the club in home runs since 2019.

He was also selected as the 2024 Players Choice Awards American League Comeback Player of the Year, an honour voted on by fellow players. O’Neill led all qualified MLB players with a .750 slugging percentage and finished second with a 1.179 OPS against left-handed pitching last season, while his 16 homers against southpaws were tied for the second-most in the majors in 2024.

In his first game with the Red Sox on March 28 at Seattle, he went deep in his fifth straight Opening Day to become the first player in MLB history to do so. O’Neill tallied two walk-off hits last year, including a three-run home run with Boston trailing 3-2 in the 10th inning on September 11 against Baltimore.

The two-time Gold Glover with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2020 and 2021 was acquired by the Red Sox in exchange for right-handed pitchers Nick Robertson and Victor Santos on December 8, 2023. In seven big league seasons between the two clubs, O’Neill has batted .246/.322/.469 with 85 doubles, three triples, 109 home runs, 313 runs scored, 278 RBIs, 189 walks, 29 hit-by-pitches, and 44 stolen bases in 590 games.

Born in Maple Ridge, B.C., his 109 homers are 10th all-time by a Canadian-born player and the second most among active players behind Toronto’s Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (160). O’Neill was originally selected by the Seattle Mariners in the third round (No. 85 overall) of the 2013 First-Year Player Draft out of Garibaldi Secondary School before being acquired by St. Louis for left-handed pitcher Marco Gonzales on July 21, 2017.