Red Sox Slugger Will Be 'Prominent Player Discussed' At Trade Deadline

Boston could get a decent package for the outfielder

Scott Neville | May 30, 2024

May 19, 2024; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Boston Red Sox designated hitter Tyler O'Neill (17) reacts as he runs the bases after hitting a solo home run against the St. Louis Cardinals during the first inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports / Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

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Boston Red Sox

The Boston Red Sox currenty sit at 28-28, third place in the American League East and 2 1/2 games back of a wild card spot.

A large portion of their fate will be determined by a June schedule that has some tough opponents sprinkled in but is middling overall. Should Boston go on a run, the focus could shift to adding ancillary pieces to the roster in hopes of a deep playoff run. If they slide or stay on course, Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow will heavily consider a fire sale of impending free agents.

While that group leans pitcher-heavy -- right-handers Nick Pivetta, Kenley Jansen and Chris Martin come to mind -- there also is a dynamic outfielder who could very well return the biggest prospect package of all logical candidates, or at least compete with Pivetta's haul.

"I would expect Tyler O'Neill from the Red Sox, if he gets healthy again and starts playing better again, will be a prominent player discussed (to be moved by the trade deadline)," The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal said on "Foul Territory" on Wednesday.

The 28-year-old is hitting .236 with 17 extra-base hits including 11 home runs, 17 RBIs and a .843 OPS (133 OPS+) in 41 games since joining the Red Sox.

Unfortunately, the slugger was placed on the injured list for right knee inflammation, retroactive to May 26 on Wednesday night.

Assuming he can return on schedule, that ailment should be deemed a bump in the road and not impact his stock too much. O'Neill's injury-riddled past is a different story but plenty of contending clubs will have interest in a two-time Gold Glove outfielder averaging a home run every 13.5 at-bats -- good for fifth in the AL -- to lead his offensive production, which is 33% better than league average.

Rosenthal recently mentioned the Los Angeles Dodgers as an outfield-needy club. O'Neill would be a strong fit for the already potent roster. More teams will be connected to O'Neill as well as any other impending Red Sox free agents as the deadline looms closer.

More MLB: Marlins Star 'Single Player Most Likely To Be Traded,' Red Sox Logical Fit

Published May 30, 2024

SCOTT NEVILLE

Scott Neville covers the Boston Red Sox for Sports Illustrated's new page "Inside The Red Sox." Before starting "Inside The Red Sox", Neville attended Merrimack College, where he earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Communication and Media with a minor in Marketing. Neville spent all four years with Merrimack's radio station WMCK, where he grew as a radio/podcast host and producer. His propensity for being in front of a microphone eventually expanded to film, where he produced multiple short films alongside his then-roommate and current co-worker Stephen Mottram. On a journey that began as a way to receive easy credits via film classes, he received a call from "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia" star Charlie Day. Day advised him to make a feature-length film, which he completed his senior year. While writing the film, Neville completed an internship for United Way as part of their NFL Partnership Program. Neville ran the blog for a team of interns and hosted an internet show called "United Way's NFL Partnership Series" where he interviewed NFL alumni. After college Neville wrote for SB Nation's "Over The Monster," a Red Sox sister site of the flagship brand. His work would eventually lead him to a job as a content producer with NESN, where he would cover all sports. After developing as a writer with the top regional network in the world, he was given the opportunity to join the Sports Illustrated Media Group in his current endeavor as the publisher of "Inside The Red Sox." The successful launch and quick rise of "Inside The Red Sox" led to Neville joining the Baseball Essential ownership group, a national baseball site under SIMG. Follow him on Twitter: @ScottNeville46 Email: nevilles@merrimack.edu