2 popular Orioles offseason targets that are off the table after Tyler O'Neill deal

On Saturday night, the Orioles went out and scooped former Red Sox outfielder Tyler O'Neill off the free agent market. The contract is technically still pending physical but there's no reason to think the deal won't be completed. The Orioles dished out $49.5 million to acquire O'Neill, and for now it looks like the righty will likely be the everyday right fielder to start the year in Baltimore.

Super agent Scott Boras told reporters on Sunday that O'Neill "expects to be an everyday player", which makes sense given that he's making over $16 million per year. He was particularly good against left handed pitchers in 2024, hitting .313/.429/.750 in 128 at-bats. He wasn't quite as good against righties but if he can find a way to stay healthy, he clearly has a ton of upside and could find a way to really break out in 2025.

The addition of O'Neill likely takes the Orioles out of the conversation for any remaining free agent outfielders. That's especially true if it's also being reported that O'Neill expects to play every day, which would have been part of the conversation between him, Boras, and the Orioles during the negotiation process.

These two free agent outfielders are off the table for the Orioles after the Tyler O'Neill signing

Assuming that's the case, it's almost certain that Anthony Santander's time in Baltimore has come to a close. The former Rule 5 pick had a tremendous run in Baltimore and capped it off with a career year in 2024 that should lead to a major payday. Earlier in the offseason, experts predicted that Santander could get a deal worth upwards of $100 million, which would be great for him.

It's unlikely that the Orioles were ever going to be in that price range, so while the O'Neill signing might be a signal that the O's are willing to open the purse strings a bit, it's still tough to see them going into the nine figures on a free agent deal.

Santander certainly could be worth the price of admission when all is said and done. He hit a career-best 44 home runs in 2024 and put up 3.3 fWAR en route to his first All Star game appearance. Early projection systems see him taking a slight step back but it'll also have a lot to due with where he signs, and how friendly the new ballpark is to hitters.

In addition to Santander, the Orioles are now extremely unlikely to land free agent outfielder Teoscar Hernandez. The former Dodgers' righty had been linked to the Orioles as a potential option earlier in the offseason but the addition of O'Neill all but takes Baltimore out of the running.

Never mind that Hernandez's contract should be significant coming off an outstanding year, but there will be limited space for corner outfielders with the group of Colton Cowser, Heston Kjerstad, Ryan O'Hearn, and now O'Neill.

It has recently been rumored that Hernandez would prefer to return to Los Angeles, so if the Dodgers are willing to pay up that seems like the best match. Hernandez could also wind up in Boston, as the Red Sox have been seen as potential players for him after losing O'Neill.

The Orioles still could use a top of the rotation arm, and it's still possible that they move someone like Cedric Mullins or Ryan Mountcastle this winter in order to upgrade the roster in some fashion. These two guys might be off the board but the Orioles look like they're far from finished.