Red Sox $32 Million Slugger Predicted To Cut Ties With Boston In Favor Of Pirates

Can Boston stand to lose its home run leader?

Sep 16, 2023; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates hats and gloves in the dugout against the New York Yankees during the sixth inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images / Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

The Boston Red Sox are known to be chasing right-handed power bats, but what will become of the most powerful righty hitter who was on the 2024 roster?

Last December, the Red Sox acquired outfielder Tyler O'Neill from the St. Louis Cardinals with just one year of team control remaining, and O'Neill was terrific for the most part. He led the team with 31 home runs despite playing in just 113 games, to go along with a robust .854 OPS.

Keeping O'Neill around isn't as simple as it may seem, however. There's a logjam in the outfield, and injuries have robbed O'Neill of a fair amount of his athleticism on defense. He's also eligible for the qualifying offer, which means if the Red Sox extend him the guaranteed one-year contract, they have no room to negotiate his salary for the 2025 season.

One insider sees O'Neill leaving Boston this winter for a team with a greater need for offense. Jim Bowden of The Athletic predicted on Friday that the 29-year-old would sign with the Pittsburgh Pirates in free agency.

"The Pirates sign outfielders Tyler O’Neill and Joc Pederson, adding veteran offense to their lineup," Bowden said.

The Pirates were hurting for offense in 2024, so adding both of these big bats would be a godsend. Not only were O'Neill and Pederson two of the most prolific power hitters of the past season, but they each had very strong platoon splits, which would give Pittsburgh lineup balance against righties and lefties.

From Boston's perspective, losing O'Neill feels inevitable if the front office doesn't extend the $21 million qualifying offer, because the slugger likely won't get much less than that on the open market. Bowden projected him to get a two-year, $32 million deal in a column last week.

Sometimes, a player-team pairing only makes sense for one season, no matter how well it may have gone at its peak. O'Neill and the Red Sox may soon prove to be one of those situations.

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