Not much of the 2025 season has gone the way the Baltimore Orioles envisioned at the start of the season, and the stage for disappointment was set by the moves the team made last offseason. Not replacing Corbin Burnes at the top of their starting rotation was problematic, and it would seem that the biggest signing the Orioles did make, outfielder Tyler O'Neill, is a bust.
O'Neill signed a three-year deal with the Orioles worth $49.5MM, and he included a player option after this season to potentially seek a larger deal had he found success in his first season in Baltimore. Success is the very thing that has evaded O'Neill, and now it would seem like a formality that his $16.5MM option will be picked up. A move that will put the Orioles on the hook for $33MM across 2026 and 2027.
Injuries have limited O'Neill to 43 games this season, and currently dealing with a wrist issue; the slugging outfielder may not be back until September. All but confirming his first season in Baltimore has been a wash.
In 164 plate appearances this season. O'Neill has a slash line of .210/.293/.434 with 8 home runs and 98 wRC+. Injuries have been a theme of O'Neill's career, as he has only played in 100 games in a season twice since making his Major League debut in 2018.
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Instead of looking at O'Neill's track record as a whole, it seems that the Orioles just saw the 31 home runs and 133 wRC+ that the 20-year-old outfielder had with the Boston Red Sox last season and thought he would be a clear answer to their offensive needs. It was a misevaluation and one that could handcuff the front office moving forward.
Spending money has never been at the forefront of conversations for the Orioles' front office, and O'Neill's contract quickly has the feel of being a burden. If anything, it's more proof that Mike Elias may not be the right man to oversee the Orioles' baseball operations. Elias continues to make mistakes that hinder the long-term outlook of the Orioles, and O'Neill's signing is the latest example of that.