Yankees Could Add Red Sox Free Agent Outfielder if Juan Soto Leaves

The New York Yankees could acquire an outfielder from their biggest rival this offseason.
Sep 17, 2024; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA;  Boston Red Sox outfielder Tyler O'Neill (17) catches a fly ball during the second inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
Sep 17, 2024; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Boston Red Sox outfielder Tyler O'Neill (17) catches a fly ball during the second inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images / Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

The New York Yankees' entire postseason strategy hinges on whether they'll be able to acquire Juan Soto.

If they do re-sign Soto, the Yankees won't be left with much money to make any other major splashes in free agency. But if Soto signs elsewhere then the Yankees can use all that money they had allocated for him to plug some holes in their current roster.

A December 2 article from Randy Miller of NJ.com said, "The Red Sox have emerged as a favorite — maybe THE favorite — to land Yankees free agent Juan Soto".

If the Red Sox were to sign Soto, the Yankees would most likely try and acquire a free agent outfielder to take his place. And perhaps a former Red Sox outfielder would be the perfect fit.

Later on in his article, Miller wrote, "Free agents that could entice the Yankees include... Tyler O’Neill".

O'Neill could be a fascinating acquisition for New York. He hit .241 with a .847 OPS, 31 home runs, and 61 RBIs in the 2024 regular season, despite just playing in 113 games.

While O'Neill has only hit .185 with a .688 OPS, 3 home runs, and 9 RBIs in 14 games against the Yankees in his career, his track record of success shows that he's an above-average offensive bat.

Plus, O'Neill is considered one of the best outfielders in the American League.

The Yankees have a history of acquiring former Red Sox outfielders. This includes names like Johnny Damon, Jacoby Ellsbury, Alex Verdugo, Andrew Benintendi, and even the great Babe Ruth.

Perhaps O'Neill will be the next player added to this list.


Published
Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

Grant Young covers the New York Yankees, the New York Mets, and Women’s Basketball for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco, where he also played Division 1 baseball for five years. He believes Mark Teixeira should have been a first ballot MLB Hall of Fame inductee.