Red Sox Slugger Called Option To Receive $21 Million Qualifying Offer

What will the Red Sox do with the slugger this winter?

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. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images / John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

Will the Boston Red Sox retain one of the club's top offensive players from the 2024 Major League Baseball season?

Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow took over the organization last year and almost immediately pulled off a great trade. The Red Sox needed some right-handed help in the middle of the lineup and took a chance on outfielder Tyler O'Neill in a deal with the St. Louis Cardinals.

The deal looks like a steal right now. O'Neill shined for Boston in 2024 and had 31 home runs and 61 RBIs across 113 games played. Injury concerns have been with O'Neill throughout his seven-year big league career, but he played the second-most games of his career in 2024.

Boston acquired O'Neill, knowing that it could be a short-term partnership. O'Neill will be a free agent this winter and is projected to cash in with Spotrac currently having his market value at just over $90 million over five years.

It's unclear what will happen, but both sides have shown an interest in continuing their partnership. One way to do this could be a short-term option through the qualifying offer. The qualifying offer for the 2025 season is just over $21 million, but if a player doesn't accept, they could get a draft pick if the player signs elsewhere.

MLB.com's Thomas Harrigan put together a list of possible qualifying offer candidates and had O'Neill in his "other potential QO candidates" category.

"O’Neill has his share of flaws, including a checkered injury history, a lofty strikeout rate, and poor platoon splits against right-handed pitching," Harrigan said. "However, he just put up 31 homers with an .847 OPS (132 OPS+) over 113 games for Boston, boosting his value in his final year before free agency."

With O'Neill's 2024 production and market value projection, he isn't likely to accept the qualifying offer. He likely will get a bigger deal in free agency, but handing him the qualifying offer at least could get Boston something in return if he decided to sign elsewhere. It seems like a no-brainer to give him one.

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