Getty Red Sox OF Tyler O'Neill
The Red Sox have been off to a better-than-expected start to the season thus far, highlighted by a sterling few weeks from the pitching staff despite a moribund showing from the team’s offense. To be fair, the silencing of the Sox bats has been aided by stints on the DL, with Triston Casas (rib) now joining the injury parade that has been headed by out-for-the-year shortstop Trevor Story, with Rafael Devers also having been sidelined because of injury.
The team’s hottest opening-month hitter—Tyler O’Neill—has been an injury casualty, too, though he is just returning from his 7-day stint following a concussion. That could be especially good long-term news because if injuries and weak hitting keep dragging the Red Sox down despite the good pitching performances, then O’Neill would make a very good candidate to be traded away when the summer trade deadline rolls in.
Ideally, of course, the Red Sox would keep winning and hang on to O’Neill, for this season and perhaps even beyond. But for a team that can boast an outfield crowded with young talent, O’Neill might prove expendable, despite his .308/.442/.716 slash line and seven home runs through 16 games.
That’s the notion, at least, at Bleacher Report, which features a firm trade-deadline prediction on O’Neill: That the Red Sox will deal him away to the Phillies in July.
Red Sox Outfield Picture Remains Crowded
In an article titled, “7 Early Predictions for the 2024 MLB Trade Deadline,” analyst Tim Kelly foresees the Sox sending O’Neill down Route 95 where he can suit up for Philadelphia. Kelly does hold out the possibility of O’Neill sticking with the Red Sox long-term, but this is a team that has committed to Ceddanne Rafaela in center field and also likes young corner outfielders Jarren Duran and Wilyer Abreu.
With Rob Refsnyder back (and hitting .438 in five games), outfield is one spot the Red Sox have some decent depth.
Kelly writes: “O’Neill does have an injury history, and on what projects to be a relatively weak trade market, Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow would probably be best served to get a return while he can for the veteran outfielder via trade.
“The Phillies are a team that makes sense as a landing spot. Center fielder Johan Rojas is an elite defender whose bat has improved of late, but by late-July, it may be apparent he still needs more seasoning offensively at Triple-A. The Phillies also need more right-handed thump in their lineup.”
Tyler O’Neill Already a Win for Boston
Whether they keep O’Neill or move him, the Red Sox have so far won the trade that brought him to Boston by a landslide.
Boston gave up pitching prospect Victor Santos and veteran Nick Robertson in a December 2023 trade with St. Louis for O’Neill, and Santos and Robertson are struggling in Triple-A Memphis.
O’Neill had a breakout year back in 2021 when he hit 34 home runs and was a Gold Glove winner in the outfield. But he was knocked back each of the past two seasons in St. Louis because of a long spate of injuries, mostly to his back and hamstring. He played 72 games last year and 96 the previous season.
But everything has held up nicely for O’Neill, if he can stay on the field. Speaking of O’Neill during his early home-run barrage, manager Alex Cora felt like the team could almost promise an O’Neill home run per night.
“This is crazy,” Cora said, per MassLive. “We should introduce him every game on the line: ‘Now playing right field for the Boston Red Sox, Tyler O’Neill and he’ll hit a homer.’”