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Orioles Predicted to Cut Ties With Former Red Sox Star Amid Concerns

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Jon Conahan | Last updated May 22, 2025 12:05 PM ET

Fortunately for the Boston Red Sox, the Baltimore Orioles have been one of the worst teams in Major League Baseball to start this season.

While it's still very early, and the Orioles have a chance to turn things around, they currently sit at 16-32 and are already 13.0 games behind the first-place New York Yankees in the division.

Unless the Orioles figure it out sometime soon, there's a good chance they'll be moving on from some of their top players, including Tyler O'Neill, who spent last season in Boston.

O'Neill was a polarizing player and has been throughout his career.

Not only has he dealt with multiple injuries throughout his career, but there have been times when he hasn't played well. However, for the Red Sox in 2024, he appeared in 113 games and swung the bat nearly as well as ever, hitting 31 home runs and posting a 133 OPS+.

With him struggling to start the year, posting a 76 OPS+ and two home runs, Zachary Howell of Clutch Points predicted that the Orioles will cut ties with him at the deadline.

“While his three-year, $49.5 million contract was one of Baltimore's biggest offseason moves, Tyler O'Neill's contract looks terrible. He hasn't produced anywhere near enough to justify his big deal, hurting the Orioles both at the plate and in their wallet. Through 24 games played so far in 2025, O'Neill is slashing .188/.280/.325 in one of the worst starts in his eight year career,” he wrote.

“Teams around the league were high on O'Neill after his 31 home run campaign in 2024, but Baltimore out-bid them all.”

The Red Sox could use some offensive production, but there isn't much of a reason to consider a reunion with O'Neill. Not only are the Red Sox loaded in the outfield, but he just left, and didn't want to stay after signing a deal with their division rival.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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