Emerging: Blue Jays to strengthen Left Field with Red Sox Star Slugger, to a four-year, $155.9 million contract…See Details
Will the Boston Red Sox end up losing a key piece to one of the club’s biggest rivals this winter?
Boston will be in the mix for more right-handed pop this winter — like last offseason. The Red Sox landed Tyler O’Neill in a trade with the St. Louis Cardinal ahead of the 2024 season, and he responded by launching 31 home runs and having one of the best seasons of his career.
O’Neill will be highly sought-after this winter, and it’s unclear if he will be back. Boston needs right-handed help, and O’Neill clearly had success in that role in 2024. The Athletic’s Tim Britton, Chad Jennings, and Aaron Gleeman put together a list of the top free agents this winter and predicted that O’Neill with receive a deal worth $45 million this winter and floated the Toronto Blue Jays as competition for Boston.
“Health issues and inconsistent playing time have dogged O’Neill for much of his career, but when healthy, he’s provided an intriguing mix of power, speed, and defense,” Britton, Jennings, Gleeman said. “This past season was his first outside of the Cardinals organization, and O’Neill largely returned to form with the Red Sox. He hit 31 home runs and slugged .511, but he also played only 113 games as he went on the IL three times and the Red Sox regularly limited his workload in an effort to keep him healthy.
“At his best, O’Neill can be a valuable run producer, and he’s won two Gold Gloves in left field. His sprint speed was down the past two years — it used to be elite — but he still moves well for a power hitter. His strikeout rate was up this season, but so was his walk rate. He has been especially productive against lefties (.923 career OPS) and won’t turn 30 until late June. Britton’s projection:
Three years, $45 million. Best fits: BOS, (Colorado Rockies), TOR.
Toronto signed a right-handed slugger away from Boston last offseason in Justin Turner. Could it do something similar this winter with O’Neill?
Explore More:
Blue Jays ‘open’ to changing superstar’s role for projected $174M star
What’s next for the Toronto Blue Jays?
Toronto had a shocking 2024 season. The Blue Jays won 89 games in 2023 and seemed to be somewhat better on paper heading into 2024. Things didn’t pan out, and the Blue Jays finished in last place in the American League East with just 74 wins.
Now, the Blue Jays need to go back to the drawing board. It seems like the Blue Jays are going to consider all options, and the club reportedly is even “open” to moving superstar Vladimir Guerrero Jr. from first base to third base to then pursue New York Mets star Pete Alonso, according to the New York Post’s Jon Heyman.
“The Blue Jays are open to moving Vlad Guerrero Jr. from first base to third, which could potentially open up a spot for Pete Alonso,” Heyman said.
Alonso will be expensive this winter and is projected to get a contract worth $174 million over six years by Spotrac. It would be surprising if he were to land in Toronto, but it would be a good move.
An infield featuring Guerrero, Alonso, and Bichette for even one season would be fantastic for Toronto. It shouldn’t be considered likely at this point, but the Blue Jays have shown that they aren’t afraid to make a big free-agent offer.
Toronto went after Shohei Ohtani hard last offseason. Alonso will be one of the top free agents this winter. Maybe he could be a fit for the Blue Jays.
Leave a Reply