Tyler O’Neill acquired by Red Sox
- Thread starter RedOctober3829
- Start date
After watching this video, listening to the analysis, and reading the comments (I know), I am much less concerned about him being someone who would hold back or dog it. It was a weird play; overall I think he comes across as hard-nosed and scrappy.
Can't comment on his reluctance to play injured, but with this being his walk year, I'm optimistic at least about the attitude part.
Plus- looking at barrel rate, he is very close to Adam Duvall.
Can't comment on his reluctance to play injured, but with this being his walk year, I'm optimistic at least about the attitude part.
Plus- looking at barrel rate, he is very close to Adam Duvall.
BABIP doesn't fuel HRs (he had 34 that year). Mostly been held back by injuries. He's a lottery ticket that cost us nothing and at worst can play good defense (when healthy).
We don't. At least no one that's ready. You don't want to go into the season with your only RHB for 4 lineup slots (3 OF and DH) being a rookie with plate discipline issues (CR) and a career 4th OFer (RR).
Putting the two trades together I think the Red Sox got the better starting outfielder, a much better SP prospect, and a slightly better depth RP while also adding a lottery ticket pitching prospect and saving a few million. Not bad. If this is the price of O'Neill (almost nothing) then the Yankees overpaid for Verdugo. And if O'Neill sucks or is injured, there's Abreu right behind him.
Now let's add some actual stars please?
Now let's add some actual stars please?
To be fair...
Ceddanne Rafaela: 122 OPS+ at Fenway, (SSS obviously) potential to be amazing defensively in all 3 OF spots (and also SS) is right handed.
I like this move (though I would have preferred to give up some other minor league flotsam instead of Santos, who I like) but I really hope it doesn't mean we're trading Rafaela.
People seem to be thinking O'Neil is more of a platoon Verdugo replacement, which would be good.
I don't think this affects CR's place on the roster in any way. If everyone plays well Yoshida is DH and Duran/O'Neill/CR in OF. Abreu can play occasionally against RHP and provides insurance if either of O'Neill or CR stuggle (which is likely)
If he can stay healthy for 5 minutes and is close to anything like the player he was in 2021, this is great.
I mean, I’d say that Verdugo is favored because he’s been consistently pretty good, but O’Neill has the single best season by either player.
And for that probable downgrade, we shed $5m in salary,
If healthy, decent chance, but they will both be in walk-year levels of motivation, and Dugie will enjoy the disgraceful bandbox advantage.
Slim to none? Verdugo has never come close to having a season like O'Neill in 2021. And O'Neill's hitting profile will likely translate very well to Fenway.
Not to mention our lineup needs a RH batter with significant HR power a hell of a lot more than it needs a LH batter with very minimal power. If he can stay healthy it's not unreasonable to expect Duvall type production.
Don't hate that OF at all if it allows us to really focus on pitching.
According to Baseball Reference's similarity score, the hitter most similar to O'Neill is...
Wily Mo Pena!
Wily Mo Pena!
O'Neill has been hurt a lot. In 2021 he was healthy and was terrific, but that was his only year ever playing 100+ games. 2022 injuries: shoulder, hamstring, hamstring. 2023 added a lower back strain to the mix.
The glass half full reading is that putting the injuries behind him could return him to 2021 levels. The glass half empty reading is he'll keep being hurt.
The glass half full reading is that putting the injuries behind him could return him to 2021 levels. The glass half empty reading is he'll keep being hurt.
I don't think it's quite "slim to none", but maybe as a ballpark estimate, 20-25% chance of O'Neill outproducing Verdugo.
O'Neill looks like a very volatile, low floor + high ceiling player for this year, Verdugo you can almost pencil in 1-2 WAR.
O'Neill looks like a very volatile, low floor + high ceiling player for this year, Verdugo you can almost pencil in 1-2 WAR.
If we believe CR and maybe Ref will be taking some innings, lessening the wear on him, he will potentially be in a better situation to remain healthy over 162 this season.
Not really comparable from a NY perspective as they really could only add LHHs this winter, so O'Neill was not a genuine option for them.
I'd guess they probably value Dugie higher than O'Neill was valued, even if that may change someday. The Cardinals had pretty much frozen O'Neill out of their plans entirely.
He kinda is. I mean, after trading Verdugo they needed someone who has a good enough glove to play RF at Fenway. Now they have that.
And he’ll apparently fill the role of contract year Vet who might be a pain in the ass for the manager too..lol
Whit was never going to be signed to play the OF (where he’s bad defensively) and the team still needs a second baseman who play adequate defense. So in no way does this preclude a Whit signing..
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I would note, there doesn't seem to be any real indication he can play center at an above average level. He appears to be a above average, maybe even very good at one point LF, who is below average in CF
Since they aren’t allocating a significant to an outfielder, it does seem like the money will go to a couple of pitchers. Seems more like Breslow will go a similar route at 2B.
O'Neill walked 10.5% last year & struck out 25.2%. Compared to the guy he's replacing, Adam Duvall who was 6.2% & 31.2% respectively.
Others are saying Duran but like you, Rafaela was the first name I thought of.
Oh, is Duran the new Verdugo who we have decided we don't like and so we're going to invent a thousand fake trade scenarios to get rid of him? I'll update my macros.
I don't like Duran that much, but a) I don't think other teams are, like, barging down the Red Sox door to get him, and b) I don't know how confident to be in handing the CF job to Rafaela just yet.
Someone is going to probably go, even if it's just Rafaela back to AAA. Yoshida, Duran & Refsnyder is are back. O'Neill replaces Duvall & Abreu replaces Verdugo, leaving 6 OF four 5 spots.
I’m not hoping for it to be Rafaela, because he’s so much fun to watch, but I think we have to give Duran another season to see whether he’s truly unlocked something, Ref has proven himself, and Cedanne is cheap with years of control for any team trading for him. I just think it ends up being him. Again, that’s not what I’m advocating for!
Which is fine for a year. We are all waiting to see if Roman is going to be an everyday player in 2025.
Good option to replace a chunk of the lost Duvall + Turner right-handed production, he's a plus glove who can play anywhere, big power ceiling if he can stay healthy (which admittedly he hasn't, he might be too bulky) — I imagine that most days it'll be Yoshida-Duran-Rafaela left to right but against lefties Refsnyder-O'Neill-Rafaela looks very good, and I'm sure he'll get DH PAs too along with Abreu, though if it were me I'd move Yoshida to DH and put one of Abreu or O'Neill in left every day
