O'Neill on Orioles: "They’ve got a really good thing going on right now"

Tyler O’Neill knows his splits and how he’s joining the Orioles in large part because they wanted a right-handed bat to improve their production against lefties. However, he didn’t sign a contract to sit.

The Orioles are prepared to pay O’Neill $49.5 million over three seasons, with an opt-out clause after 2025. He’s basically the replacement for free agent right fielder Anthony Santander, and he’s geared toward exceeding the 113 appearances with the Red Sox this summer.

He’s coming to play.

“Obviously, they want me to be part of the everyday lineup, and I’m looking forward to being able to contribute in that regard,” O’Neill said earlier today in his introductory video call with local media.

“I understand last year I had some splits that were a little more drastic than in years before, but honestly, part of that was playing at Fenway Park and just being in that home ballpark and really trying to tailor my approach to the left field wall. They wanted me to open up to the pull side and kind of had to play up front a little bit more, which left me less room for error. And it worked out. It worked out well, for sure, but it definitely caused some streakiness, so to be able to play in a ballpark that’s symmetrical like Camden Yards, I’m really excited to be able to exploit right-center more and use the whole field and see what I can post on top of that.”

O’Neill, who batted .313/.430/.750 against left-handers in 2024, went through free agency for the first time in his career and reached agreement shortly before the Winter Meetings, where the deal became official. Executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias wasted no time contacting agent Scott Boras.

“It was good,” O'Neill said. “It's stressful and exciting at the same time. I didn't know what to expect. Thankfully, Baltimore wanted to make me a priority this year and they were very interested in the early going and Mike and Scott were able to figure out the numbers from there and we could come to a contract. But I'm really looking forward to being able to play in a winning organization.

“These guys have a lot of talent and a good chance to go deep into the postseason, so I'm really excited to be able to contribute.”

Moving in the left field fence to make the dimensions more favorable to hitters, especially from the right side, became an important component of the sales pitch to O’Neill, a seven-year veteran who batted .241/.336/.511 with 18 doubles and 31 home runs this year with the Red Sox.

“The first conversations that Scott and Mike had together, the wall was definitely part of that conversation,” he said. “I think it’s good for guys like me, obviously, and I’m looking forward to seeing what that looks like in person. But it was definitely a topic.

“I was very excited that Baltimore was interested in me. Playing in the AL East throughout the year, obviously, they were a tough opponent all year. They can hit, they’ve got really good starters, the bullpen is lockdown. So, for me to be able to join that and try and do what I can on my side to help that roster out, I’m really excited for that. There’s a lot of potential with this young core of guys that they have. Winning 91 ballgames last year, hopefully we can add to that this year. I’m very excited to see where it goes.”

Colton Cowser is expected to make most of the starts in left field, leaving the vacated right for O’Neill. But he’s made 334 more starts in left in the majors.

“I’ve played a lot of left field the last couple of years, but I’ve played center and right field throughout my career, so I am comfortable in both spots,” he said. “I think last year, trying to understand Fenway Park on the defensive side of the ball took some adjustment. Obviously, right field is very big and there’s a lot more ground to cover than usual compared to other parks with a very short wall that you have to be aware of, and then left field is the exact opposite with it being much less ground to cover and a much larger wall. Understanding those dimensions took some adjusting, but the plan for me is to play both corners.

“I don’t know how much playing time I’ll get in center field, but there is potential in a pinch to get out there. Wherever I can help the ballclub ultimately win and make the most impact on a day-to-day basis, it doesn’t really matter where they want me.”

O’Neill received the first multi-year free-agent contract under Elias, though the opt-out could reduce it to one. He said the club initiated it.

“Definitely having contract flexibility was appealing on my end,” he said. “That's something that Baltimore came and offered, so I was really excited about that. But I'm focused on the full term of my contract right now and seeing what kind of damage we can do in the AL East.”

O’Neill won his second consecutive Gold Glove with the Cardinals in 2021 and had his biggest offensive season in a career-high 138 games, slashing .286/.352/.560 with 26 doubles, 34 homers and 80 RBIs and finishing eighth in Most Valuable Player voting.

“I was healthy for the most that I was in my career and just kind of got pulled back a little bit the next two years, but last year I showed that I'm still that player,” he said. “I still got pop in my bat, I still got speed, I can still play defense and make plays on that side of the ball. The biggest thing for me is my training program and staying on top of my strength and conditioning, just understanding that I'm in a really good spot with that physically right now. It's a very balanced program and it keeps me feeling healthy.

“My small muscle groups are healthy. I'm moving well. I've got good range of motion, mobility program is in a good spot. So being able to trust that lets me think less about those sorts of things and being able to focus more on competing.”

O’Neill went on the injured list three times this year but notices improvements physically now that he isn’t neglecting those smaller muscle groups. He’s resisting past tendencies to rush into heavy lifting.

“I've done what I can in the training side to make sure that I can be as consistent as possible and feel as good as I can on a day-to-day basis, and I think I'm in a really good spot there,” he said. “So I have confidence in my body again to be able to go out and produce on an everyday basis.”

The Orioles are O’Neill’s third team and he’s got to work at building relationships with a room full of new teammates and strangers.

“I don’t know any of those guys on a personal level,” he said. “Only seeing them on the field from playing against each other. But obviously a ton of respect for everyone in that clubhouse. They’ve got a really good thing going on right now.”

O’Neill’s deal is the largest for the Orioles since Elias’ hiring in 2018, which coincides with the arrival this year of a new ownership group headed by David Rubenstein that took full control in August. They also committed $8.5 million to backup catcher Gary Sánchez, who reached agreement on the same day as O’Neill.

“Obviously, organizations reach step-wise goals, and I think Mike Elias’ platform when he came there was one to build under the direction of an ownership that allowed him to do what he could do,” said Boras, who also joined the video call. “It’s very clear from the conversations that we’ve had with the new ownership, they are to retain the players they have drafted and brought through the system and are enjoying their success, and also attract the needed potentials that they have to allow them to compete in the very difficult AL East, and really have the necessary components that rewards the existing group that they have. And ownership has really even gone to the architectural attractions to try to recruit players, which they’ve done, and I think their overall nature of the franchise for the fanbase is really one that is very, very different than it was before.”

Said O’Neill: “It was awesome to see the Rubenstein group come in last year and purchase the Orioles. He’s a Baltimore native. You can tell he wants the team to win and he’s going to up his payroll a little bit. From years past, it’s not really something from a player’s standpoint you might expect, but it’s definitely a sign that Baltimore is turning a leaf in that regard and looking to bolster their roster in the free agent department. So I’m really excited about the contract we were able to come to, and hopefully they keep going.”

Gigantic steps would be made if signing a No. 1 starter in free agency, where Corbin Burnes is expected to receive a contract exceeding the $218 million over eight years that the Yankees gave left-hander Max Fried. The Orioles have made their interest known to Boras, but the Giants and Blue Jays are viewed in the industry as favorites.

Boras didn’t offer a clear answer on whether the Orioles have a shot at retaining Burnes.

“Well, the addition of Tyler to this already very competitive group says a lot about what the Orioles want to do,” he said. “Why players go places has a lot to do with their winning component. But really this boils down to ownership.

“When you have competitiveness in a market, ownership has to respond, and to compete with fellow owners about these elite talents. It’s something that normally when you’re new to it, it’s not as understood, but if you hope that the presence of all the information that surrounds the availability of elite players, No. 1 pitchers, they’re just not in free agent markets year to year. You’re fortunate that when you have a need for one and there’s one in the market that can fulfill that. And ironically that player has performed well in your market. And also ironically, that player has given you in the postseason exactly what you’d expect from a No. 1.

“So all those unknowns that are coupled with free agency are known to Baltimore, which gives them more of an insight and I would assume an aggression to continue to make this team more and more of what it needs to be to be at a world championship level.”