Red Sox Free-Agent Slugger Says Craig Breslow Has 'Mutual Interest' In 2025 Reunion

Could the righty power bat the Red Sox need be there already?

Feb 15, 2024; Tampa, FL, USA; Boston Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow talks with media at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images / Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

Decisions, decisions.

As the Boston Red Sox's 2024 season concludes with a woeful second half, the coming offseason looms like a storm cloud racing over the horizon. President of Baseball Operations Craig Breslow will have many avenues to explore, but the objective is urgent: Make the playoffs in 2025.

One impending decision involves free-agent slugger Tyler O'Neill, who the Red Sox acquired via trade from the St. Louis Cardinals in December. O'Neill led Boston in home runs this year, but as he enters free agency, there are legitimate pros and cons to Breslow pursuing a potential reunion.

After Sunday's game, O'Neill revealed that he had spoken to Breslow that morning, and that both sides had expressed interest in bringing the righty slugger back to Boston in 2025.

"We just talked today actually. Just feel where we're at. Obviously, there's mutual interest there," O'Neill said, per NESN. "I feel comfortable in this clubhouse. The guys are awesome here. The way the staff communicates has been awesome to experience that this year."

O'Neill, 28, had his healthiest and most productive year since 2021, clubbing 31 home runs in 113 games. But he also racked up 159 strikeouts, 91 of which came at Fenway Park. He would carry the offense for weeks at a time, and disappear for others.

Deciding what to do with O'Neill is particularly difficult because it's easy to see either side of the equation coming back to bite Boston. Let him walk, and he could torment you next year and beyond. Keep him around, and his production could dip while clogging up a spot a young player may need.

First things first: Breslow and the Sox should at least extend O'Neill the qualifying offer. He's unlikely to accept, but if he leaves, Boston would get draft compensation for losing him. They've seen how that can pay off with the selection of future star Kristian Campbell, who was the compensation pick for Xander Bogaerts.

More MLB: Red Sox Slugger 'Not Expecting' Contract Extension: 'I Haven't Earned It'