Tyler O’Neill Has Been Suspended By Boston Red Sox For Alleged…
With a severe lack of star talent on the roster, the Red Sox need to have a good offseason this winter. But while the Dodgers and the Yankees continue to add superstars, the Red Sox have given their fans a few fringe moves.
Boston’s biggest move has actually been a bit of subtraction, trading Alex Verdugo to the Yankees last week. That trade, in addition to Adam Duvall’s free agency, left a void in the outfield for new chief baseball officer Craig Breslow to address.
He seemingly did just that late last week with a more affordable option in Tyler O’Neill, whom the Red Sox acquired from the St. Louis Cardinals for a pair of prospects.
The move has a chance to really pay off for the Red Sox, but a lot would have to go right with O’Neill, who brings in a lengthy history of not playing baseball over his six-year career.
O’Neill will turn 29 in June and played all six of his MLB seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals. A native of Burnaby, Canada, O’Neill was a third-round pick by the Seattle Mariners in 2013.
He was traded to the Cardinals in 2017 and made his debut in MLB 2018, slashing .254/.303/.500 with nine homers over 61 games for St. Louis.
O’Neill is a two-time Gold Glove Award winner, taking home the award in 2020 and 2021. He had a career-best seven outfield assists in 2021, but also set a career-high of nine errors that season.
O’Neill has played mostly left field during his career, but also has experience in right and center field.
O’Neill’s biggest issue has been his inability to stay healthy. He played in just 168 games over the last two seasons, with an array of ailments — including a sprained right ankle, a back strain, strained hamstrings, and a right shoulder impingement — forcing him to spend time on the injured list.