Inside The Red Sox

Red Sox Slugger Predicted To Leave Boston After Breakout Season

Boston will have a difficult decision to make this winter

Patrick McAvoy

Jul 24, 2020; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; An image outside Fenway Park on an empty Jersey Street before the start of the game against the Boston Red Sox and Baltimore Orioles at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images
Jul 24, 2020; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; An image outside Fenway Park on an empty Jersey Street before the start of the game against the Boston Red Sox and Baltimore Orioles at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images / David Butler II-Imagn Images
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The Boston Red Sox could be without the services of one of their top slugger in 2025.

Boston made an impressive move before the 2024 Major League Baseball season could kick off. The Red Sox need some right-handed pop in the middle of the lineup and swung a trade with the St. Louis Cardinals for outfielder Tyler O'Neil.

The trade clearly has worked out much better for the Red Sox than it has for the Cardinals. O'Neill is having one of the best seasons of his career and so far has 29 home runs and 56 RBIs while slashing .260/.349/.545 in 99 games played. This will be just the second season of his seven-year big league career that he will appear in over 100 games.

O'Neill has been great this season and the timing couldn't be better for him as he will be a free agent at the end of the season. It's unclear where he will land, but Bleacher Report's Kerry Miller predicted it won't be with Boston.

"Free Agents: (right-handed pitcher) Kenley Jansen, (outfielder) Tyler O'Neill, (right-handed pitcher) Nick Pivetta, (right-handed pitcher) Chris Martin, (catcher) Danny Jansen, (right-handed pitcher) Luis Garcia, (right-handed pitcher) Lucas Sims, (right-handed pitcher) Lucas Giolito (player option very likely to be exercised)," Miller said. "As far as position players are concerned, the Red Sox are in great shape for next year.

"Losing Tyler O'Neill stings a bit, but hard to argue with an outfield of Jarren Duran, Wilyer Abreu, and Ceddanne Rafaela. Theoretically getting healthy seasons out of both Triston Casas and Trevor Story sure would help fill O'Neill's void in the lineup, too."

It would make sense for the Red Sox to bring O'Neill back, but they have some solid outfielders on the roster already and Roman Anthony waiting to make his big-league debut. Unless Boston swings a trade involving an outfielder currently on the roster, it may make sense to spend elsewhere.

More MLB: Red Sox Could Target Projected $48 Million Ex-Yankees Star To Fill Hole

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Patrick McAvoy

PATRICK MCAVOY

Patrick McAvoy's experiences include local and national sports coverage at the New England Sports Network with a focus on baseball and basketball. Outside of journalism, Patrick also is pursuing an MBA at Brandeis University. After quickly rising as one of the most productive writers on the site, he expanded his reach to write for Baseball Essential, a national baseball site in Sports Illustrated Media Group. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding Inside The Cardinals, please reach out to Scott Neville: nevilles@merrimack.edu

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