Orioles kickstart AL East arms race after stealing power bat from Red Sox

Boston Red Sox outfielder Tyler O'Neil
Boston Red Sox outfielder Tyler O'Neil | Cole Burston/GettyImages

The MLB Winter Meetings have yet to begin, but the Baltimore Orioles are already hard at work trying to assemble their roster for the 2025 season. On Saturday night, the O's poached their new outfielder from an AL East rival after agreeing to a three-year, $49.5 million deal with Tyler O'Neill. The contract reportedly contains an opt-out after the 2025 season.

While the Boston Red Sox, Toronto Blue Jays, and New York Yankees are busy fighting over who's going to dump $700 million-plus on Juan Soto, the Orioles found their replacement for free agent outfielder Anthony Santander who seems extremely likely to move on after the signing.

Orioles News: Baltimore signs Tyler O'Neill in shot across the bow of the Red Sox

O'Neill had a successful stint with the Red Sox last season. After two down-years with the St. Louis Cardinals, O'Neill mashed 31 homers in Boston last season while posting a .241/.336/.511 slash line. O'Neill was merciless against left-handed pitchers. The 29-year-old owned a 1.180 OPS against southpaws in 2024.

The signing almost assuredly spells the end of any potential reunion between Baltimore and Santander. The slugger's price tag is likely to reach $100 million this offseason, and that's a number the O's were unlikely to match. Multiple clubs have already been connected to Santander this offseason and while it is unclear how much he will eventually get as this market is pretty wild, it does seem likely he was already priced out of Baltimore.

And while the O's can rest easy now knowing that Santander's spot in the lineup is now filled, that doesn't mean that he'll be leaving the AL East. In fact, it's a good bet that Santander's market will heat up once Soto signs. Considering that a trio of AL East clubs are targeting Soto, the loser(s) might turn to Santander as a backup plan.

The stove is hot and the Orioles might not be done. While finding an outfielder was definitely on Mike Elias' wishlist this offseason, Baltimore's front office needs to add some arms as well. The Winter Meetings offer Elias and Co. a perfect opportunity to upgrade the rest of the Orioles' roster, but Baltimore's fanbase should be excited with the newest addition.

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