Source: O’Neill staying in AL East with O’s deal

Outfielder Tyler O’Neill and the Baltimore Orioles are in agreement on a three-year, $49.5 million contract, a source told ESPN, filling a void created by the free agency of slugging outfielder Anthony Santander.

O’Neill, who will receive an opt-out clause after the first year of the deal, parlayed a bounce-back season with the Boston Red Sox into the biggest payday for an outfielder this winter. While that soon will be dwarfed by Juan Soto’s signing, O’Neill, 29, adds a right-handed bat to an Orioles lineup filled with left-handed hitters.

He did the majority of his damage against left-handed pitchers this year, hitting 16 of his 31 home runs off lefties — in fewer than half the plate appearances. With the left-field fences at Camden Yards scheduled to be moved in, O’Neill can tap into his power with a lineup that already includes Gunnar Henderson, Adley Rutschman, Jordan Westburg, Colton Cowser and Cedric Mullins.

After spending his first six seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals, O’Neill was traded to Boston last winter and hit .241/.336/.511 while driving in 61 runs in 113 games. It was the most O’Neill had played since his breakout 2021 season, when he finished eighth in National League MVP voting and won his second consecutive Gold Glove in left field.

Injuries have hindered O’Neill, who is part of a deep free agent class of corner outfielders that includes Soto, Santander (who hit 44 home runs for Baltimore this year), Teoscar Hernandez, Jurickson Profar, Joc Pederson, Max Kepler, Michael Conforto and Alex Verdugo.

None hits left-handers like O’Neill, who slashed .313/.430/.750 in 156 plate appearances this season and has a career OPS 182 points higher against lefties. Baltimore takes advantage of platoon splits when possible, getting a career year out of Ryan O’Hearn, a left-handed hitter who punishes right-handed pitching.

Baltimore’s winter won’t end with O’Neill.

The Orioles remain active in pursuing starting-pitching options to join Zach Eflin, Grayson Rodriguez and Dean Kremer in their rotation. Baltimore ace Corbin Burnes, who threw eight brilliant innings during the Orioles’ wild-card series loss to Kansas City, is a free agent expected to reap a contract in excess of $200 million.