Source: O’Neill staying in AL East with O’s deal
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Jeff Passan, ESPN
Outfielder Tyler O’Neill and the Baltimore Orioles are in agreement on a three-year, $49.5 million contract, a source told ESPN, filling a void created by the free agency of slugging outfielder Anthony Santander.
O’Neill, who will receive an opt-out clause after the first year of the deal, parlayed a bounce-back season with the Boston Red Sox into the biggest payday for an outfielder this winter. While that soon will be dwarfed by Juan Soto‘s signing, O’Neill, 29, adds a right-handed bat to an Orioles lineup filled with left-handed hitters.
He did the majority of his damage against left-handed pitchers this year, hitting 16 of his 31 home runs off lefties — in fewer than half the plate appearances. With the left-field fences at Camden Yards scheduled to be moved in, O’Neill can tap into his power with a lineup that already includes Gunnar Henderson, Adley Rutschman, Jordan Westburg, Colton Cowser and Cedric Mullins.
After spending his first six seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals, O’Neill was traded to Boston last winter and hit .241/.336/.511 while driving in 61 runs in 113 games. It was the most O’Neill had played since his breakout 2021 season, when he finished eighth in National League MVP voting and won his second consecutive Gold Glove in left field.
Injuries have hindered O’Neill, who is part of a deep free agent class of corner outfielders that includes Soto, Santander (who hit 44 home runs for Baltimore this year), Teoscar Hernandez, Jurickson Profar, Joc Pederson, Max Kepler, Michael Conforto and Alex Verdugo.
None hits left-handers like O’Neill, who slashed .313/.430/.750 in 156 plate appearances this season and has a career OPS 182 points higher against lefties. Baltimore takes advantage of platoon splits when possible, getting a career year out of Ryan O’Hearn, a left-handed hitter who punishes right-handed pitching.
Baltimore’s winter won’t end with O’Neill.
The Orioles remain active in pursuing starting-pitching options to join Zach Eflin, Grayson Rodriguez and Dean Kremer in their rotation. Baltimore ace Corbin Burnes, who threw eight brilliant innings during the Orioles’ wild-card series loss to Kansas City, is a free agent expected to reap a contract in excess of $200 million.
LOS ANGELES — Shohei Ohtani hit his 40th home run of the season Saturday night in the fifth inning of the Los Angeles Dodgers‘ 9-1 win against the Toronto Blue Jays.
Ohtani hit a solo shot 417 feet to center off starter Chris Bassitt to give the Dodgers a three-run lead.
“That was one of those swings where he was behind the ball,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “He stayed into the ground. I know he and the hitting guys have been working on some things mechanically. That was as good of a swing as you’re going to see.”
Ohtani was not made available to the media.
The two-way Japanese star reached 40 homers for the fourth time in his career — and the third straight season — after winning MVP awards in each of the previous three years he did it.
He is the third player with multiple 40-HR seasons in the American League and National League, joining Jim Thome and Mark McGwire.
He did it this time in his 115th game, the fewest needed to reach the mark in a season in Dodgers history.
With 45 regular-season games left, Roberts was asked if he thought Ohtani could reach 55.
“It wouldn’t surprise me,” Roberts said. “Guys like Shohei always look for something to motivate them. He likes round numbers. I know 50 is on his radar. We’ll see how it goes.”
Information from ESPN Research and The Associated Press was used in this report.
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