Red Sox Breakout Star Will Have 'Plenty of Interest' Around Trade Deadline

One of Boston's best offensive pieces could end up being moved this summer

May 11, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox left fielder Tyler O'Neill (17) scores a run on Boston Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers (not pictured) RBI double against the Washington Nationals during the eighth inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports / Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports

How will the Boston Red Sox handle the 2024 Major League Baseball trade deadline?

Luckily for the club, it's just under two months away so they have some time to make a decision. Boston is in a tough spot because it currently has a 30-30 record and could go either way.

The Red Sox have had one of the best starting rotations in baseball so far this season but its offense has struggled in large part due to injuries. It should get healthier soon, but it's not clear yet how the club will handle the deadline.

Boston has avoided spending big in recent years and if the club is floating around .500, it may not want to invest in the club by becoming buyers at the deadline. If that ends up being the case, one player who has been mentioned as a trade candidate on multiple occasions is outfielder Tyler O'Neill.

O'Neill currently is on the Injured List but could be back as soon as this week. He will be a free agent at the end of the season and will draw "plenty of interest" around the deadline if he is healthy, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan.

"Boston remains nearly $20 million shy of the luxury tax threshold -- something the franchise has exceeded just once in the past five years, to the tune of a $1.2 million penalty -- and shows no desire to add," Passan said. "The question is whether new president of baseball operations Craig Breslow will take a decent suite of assets and flip it into something that helps the cause of the 2025-and-beyond Red Sox. Outfielder Tyler O'Neill would draw plenty of interest, provided he's healthy."

O'Neill has been great for the Red Sox when he's been healthy and is tied for the team lead in home runs with 11 despite two Injured List stints. Hopefully, he is able to return this week and Boston is able to rack up wins as a way to show the front office that it should be buyers rather than sellers.

If that doesn't end up being the case, though, O'Neill could be on the way out of town this summer.

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