Rumored Philadelphia Phillies Target Predicted To Land Cheap Deal in Free Agency

The Philadelphia Phillies offense would improve if they landed the slugger in MLB free agency.

Sep 23, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Boston Red Sox designated hitter Tyler O'Neill (17) makes contact with the ball during the seventh inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. / John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

The Philadelphia Phillies have been linked to multiple players over the past year. While they didn't land all of those players, they could revisit those conversations in the winter as some of them will hit free agency.

At the top of that list could be Tyler O’Neill, who, when healthy, would be an intriguing fit on the Phillies roster.

O’Neill is far from a perfect player, as he has many question marks regarding his health. That's an issue for a contending team like Philadelphia, but perhaps they'd be willing to give him a chance if the price makes sense.

Jim Bowden of The Athletic recently predicted his future contract, which was two years and $32 million.

"Tyler O’Neill is like Blake Snell and Cody Bellinger — when he can stay healthy and play up to his potential, he delivers. This year he slashed .241/.336/.511 with 31 home runs in 113 games. However, it was only the second somewhat healthy successful season of his seven-year career — his last one was in 2021 when he hit 34 home runs with the Cardinals, finished eighth in NL MVP voting and won his second Gold Glove Award. O’Neill had multiple stints on the injured list this year and has played more than 100 games only twice. Despite coming off a productive season, that lack of availability will force him to sign another short-term contract."

From a pure talent standpoint, O’Neill is likely worth more than Bowden suggested, but it's impossible to ignore his past.

During 113 games this campaign, which was the most he's played since 2021, the right-handed hitting outfielder slashed .241/.336/.511/ with 31 home runs and a 132 OPS+.

He has massive power in his bat, as O’Neill could legitimately be a candidate to hit 30-plus every season he plays.

Putting him in the middle of this Phillies lineup could do wonders for other hitters on the team. However, when evaluating any potential free agent target for Philadelphia, it's important to consider their swing-and-miss issues.

O’Neill has those, as he struck out 159 times in 411 at-bats.

Striking out has become more prevalent than ever and while it'd be unfair to say it's not a big deal, that's just the way the game is played in the modern era.

If he could give them 130 regular-season games and play in the playoffs, the Phillies would likely be content with his strikeout problems.