The Boston Red Sox are set to be very aggressive in free agency this winter. They’re rumored to be in on New York Yankees superstar outfielder Juan Soto, though they’re not expected to be one of the top two or three teams in the sweepstakes.
But before the Red Sox can really dive into the open free agency market, they should be looking at their own free agents. One of their free agents who will receive some serious attention from contending clubs is breakout outfielder Tyler O’Neill.
FanSided’s Nick Villano recently predicted the Red Sox wouldn’t be able to retain O’Neill. Instead, Villano predicts the Chicago Cubs and Craig Counsell to land the star outfielder. Spotrac projects O’Neill to sign a three-year, $49 million contract this winter.
“We can totally see the Chicago Cubs make a big move this offseason, but they might not have the appetite to really go for it. There are a few players who the Cubs will court, including some of the biggest free agent outfielders on the market, but O’Neill would be a great plan once it’s all said and done,” Villano wrote. “He’s under 30 years old, so he should have a few more good years in him. He may be on fraud watch, but it’s just as possible that he is just scratching the surface of his potential.”
Chicago is looking to bolster its offense without breaking the bank. O’Neill would do just that.
Last season, O’Neill smashed 31 home runs and posted a .847 OPS. He looked more like the 26-year-old star that he was in 2021 than like a 30-year-old aging veteran.
If the Cubs can add him and he can stay healthy, they would get a huge boost to their outfield for much cheaper than some of the free agent options.
