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What Should the Baltimore Orioles Do With Tyler O'Neill?
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- What Should the Baltimore Orioles Do With Tyler O'Neill?
(James A. Pittman-Imagn Images)
The Baltimore Orioles have a difficult decision to make this offseason with Tyler O'Neill . The 31-year-old outfielder is owed $16.5 million in 2027, the final year of his contract, after another injury-filled season. Baltimore must decide whether to give him another chance or move on and create more opportunities for younger players.
O'Neill played just 85 games in 2026, hitting .212 with a .300 on-base percentage and .677 OPS. He finished with 10 home runs and 23 RBIs, a disappointing return for a player who hit 31 home runs with the Boston Red Sox in 2024.
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His season ended in August after an MRI revealed a right rotator cuff strain. He landed on the injured list on Aug. 26 and was transferred to the 60-day IL in September. He also missed time earlier in the year after entering the concussion protocol.
The Orioles have three options.
Keeping O'Neill is probably the easiest path, at least financially in terms of avoiding an additional transaction. He has shown he can provide power, and another healthy season could make the investment worthwhile. The problem is that Baltimore would be betting on both his health and his ability to bounce back after two injury-shortened seasons.
Trading him would be difficult. Another team would have to take on a $16.5 million salary for a player coming off a season in which he struggled at the plate and missed a ton of time. Baltimore could facilitate a deal by paying part of his salary, but that would mean absorbing a financial cost just to move him.
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The third option is designating O'Neill for assignment and eventually releasing him. That would open a roster spot, but the club would remain responsible for the money owed to him.
With Baltimore finishing 79-82 and missing the playoffs for the second straight year, giving younger outfielders more opportunities could be worth that cost. Colton Cowser and Heston Kjerstad are among the players who could benefit from a clearer path to playing time, and keeping a roster spot tied up in an expensive veteran makes that harder.
Still, releasing O'Neill would mean paying him without getting anything in return. If Baltimore believes he can recover fully from the shoulder injury, one more season could offer a chance to salvage some value from the contract.
The Orioles need more production and better health across the roster. Keeping O'Neill gives him a chance to provide both, but it also risks repeating the same problems. With $16.5 million on the line, Baltimore has to decide whether his potential rebound is worth another year of waiting.
