Red Sox Slugger Predicted To Leave Boston After Breakout Season

The Boston Red Sox could be without the services of one of their top slugger in 2025.

Boston made an impressive move before the 2024 Major League Baseball season could kick off. The Red Sox need some right-handed pop in the middle of the lineup and swung a trade with the St. Louis Cardinals for outfielder Tyler O’Neil.

The trade clearly has worked out much better for the Red Sox than it has for the Cardinals. O’Neill is having one of the best seasons of his career and so far has 29 home runs and 56 RBIs while slashing .260/.349/.545 in 99 games played. This will be just the second season of his seven-year big league career that he will appear in over 100 games.

O’Neill has been great this season and the timing couldn’t be better for him as he will be a free agent at the end of the season. It’s unclear where he will land, but Bleacher Report’s Kerry Miller predicted it won’t be with Boston.

“Free Agents: (right-handed pitcher) Kenley Jansen, (outfielder) Tyler O’Neill, (right-handed pitcher) Nick Pivetta, (right-handed pitcher) Chris Martin, (catcher) Danny Jansen, (right-handed pitcher) Luis Garcia, (right-handed pitcher) Lucas Sims, (right-handed pitcher) Lucas Giolito (player option very likely to be exercised),” Miller said. “As far as position players are concerned, the Red Sox are in great shape for next year.

“Losing Tyler O’Neill stings a bit, but hard to argue with an outfield of Jarren Duran, Wilyer Abreu, and Ceddanne Rafaela. Theoretically getting healthy seasons out of both Triston Casas and Trevor Story sure would help fill O’Neill’s void in the lineup, too.”

It would make sense for the Red Sox to bring O’Neill back, but they have some solid outfielders on the roster already and Roman Anthony waiting to make his big-league debut. Unless Boston swings a trade involving an outfielder currently on the roster, it may make sense to spend elsewhere.

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