The Baltimore Orioles have signed outfielder Tyler O’Neill to a three-year contract and catcher Gary Sánchez to a one-year deal, both of which were finalized on Tuesday.
O’Neill’s contract is worth $49.5 million, divided equally at $16.5 million for each of the next three seasons. He also has a player opt-out option after the 2025 season. Sánchez’s contract is worth $8.5 million, and he is expected to serve as a backup to All-Star catcher Adley Rutschman.
“Pretty clearly two profiles we had been seeking going into the offseason,” said Orioles general manager Mike Elias.
O’Neill had a .241 batting average with 31 home runs and 61 RBIs while playing for the Boston Red Sox this past season. This was his first year with the Red Sox after starting his big league career with St. Louis. O’Neill made history by hitting a home run in his first game with Boston, setting a record for hitting a home run in five consecutive opening days.
The 29-year-old outfielder was named the American League Comeback Player of the Year in 2023, after missing much of the season due to leg issues and a concussion. He played only 72 games in 2023, but after being traded to Boston, he appeared in 113 games, which was the second-most games he had played in his career.
His highest total was 138 games in 2021, when he set career records in batting average (.286), home runs (34), RBIs (80), and stolen bases (15).
O’Neill’s ability to play both corner outfield spots will be important for the Orioles if they lose switch-hitting slugger Anthony Santander in free agency. O’Neill also bats from the right side, which complements the Orioles’ mostly left-handed hitters, including Gunnar Henderson, Colton Cowser, Jackson Holliday, Heston Kjerstad, and Cedric Mullins.
“They both bring tremendous amount of right-handed power and they’re good on both sides, both right and lefty pitch,” said Elias. “Extremely productive, Tyler in particular against left-handed pitching, and that’s something you look at the composition of the rest of our team was a relative weakness.”
Sánchez, who played for the Milwaukee Brewers last season, hit .220 with 11 home runs and 37 RBIs in 89 games. He has 184 career home runs and 485 RBIs over his 10 MLB seasons. Sánchez finished second in the American League Rookie of the Year voting in 2016 behind Detroit pitcher Michael Fulmer.
“Frankly, we needed another catcher with James McCann being a free agent, and I think it’s a good profile to match with Adley,” said Elias. “It’s good to have a Spanish-speaking catcher to pair with an American catcher. He had a good season with Milwaukee last year and drew a lot of good reviews from their players and coaching staff.”
