Red Sox's 31-Homer Slugger Linked To Royals In Possible Blockbuster Signing
The Kansas City Royals cracked open the door in 2024. Now, they need to keep pushing.
After a surprise turnaround that saw the Royals reach the playoffs in 2024 a year after finishing in last place, now is the time to add crucial reinforcements. Kansas City had a great starting pitching rotation and a transcendent superstar in Bobby Witt Jr., but there are still several notable roster holes.
At the top of the list for improvements this offseason should be the outfield. No Royals outfielder hit 20 or more home runs in 2024, and none possessed the on-base skills to bat leadoff ahead of Witt, either. Bringing in an outfielder who can add a new dimension to the offense is crucial.
One such outfielder is Tyler O'Neill of the Boston Red Sox, who led his team in home runs despite missing nearly 50 games this season. Mark Feinsand of MLB.com recently linked O'Neill to the Royals as a potential fit this winter.
"A change of scenery proved to be the perfect tonic for O’Neill, who belted 31 home runs with an .847 OPS in 113 games for the Red Sox after a pair of down seasons with St. Louis in 2022-23," Feinsand said.
"The two-time Gold Glove Award winner topped the 100-game mark for only the second time in his career, and his injury history might hamper his chances of securing a long-term contract."
In addition to the power he brings, another benefit to signing O'Neill is that he doesn't come with a qualifying offer attached. That means unlike other free-agent sluggers, such as Anthony Santander and Teoscar Hernández, O'Neill can sign anywhere without his new team having to surrender draft compensation.
If the Royals could put O'Neill in the middle of their order, behind Witt and sandwiched around Vinnie Pasquantino and Salvador Perez, they'd be a much more formidable offense to face in 2025, possibly laying the groundwork for a more serious pennant chase.
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Jackson Roberts is a former Division III All-Region DH who now writes and talks about sports for a living. A Bay Area native and a graduate of Swarthmore College and the Newhouse School at Syracuse University, Jackson makes his home in North Jersey. He grew up rooting for the Red Sox, Patriots, and Warriors, and he recently added the Devils to his sports fandom mosaic. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding "Kansas City Royals On SI," please reach out to Scott Neville: scott@wtfsports.org