Breaking: Anthony Santander’s Shoplist Revealed! Orioles’ Free Agent’s Market Heat Up as Teams Make Their…
One of the goals for the Baltimore Orioles this offseason was to find a power-hitting, right-handed batter for the outfield.
They accomplished that goal just before the Winter Meetings got underway.
The Orioles’ first splash of the offseason was agreeing to a three-year, $49 million deal with Tyler O’Neill. It is a significant deal for several reasons.
For starters, it shows that the new ownership group is willing to spend a little bit of money to address needs on the roster. It also weakens a division rival in the Boston Red Sox who are on the rise, as O’Neill was incredibly productive for them in 2024 with 31 home runs in just 113 games.
If he can stay healthy, Baltimore has gotten quite a steal and has someone capable of producing at the level Austin Hays did in from 2021-2023 before injuries set him back this past year.
Another fallout from the O’Neill deal for the franchise is that it could signal they are prepared to move on from All-Star right fielder Anthony Santander.
Coming off a career-high 44 home runs and 102 RBI, he is going to have a lot of suitors on the free agency market. With Juan Soto signing the largest contract in sports history with the New York Mets late Sunday night, the market for players such as Santander is starting to come into focus.
As Jon Morosi of MLB Network shared, the teams who missed out on Soto will now turn their attention elsewhere. Teams in need of outfield help will now target the Orioles star power hitter and Teoscar Hernandez.
Other teams who could certainly get into the mix include the Detroit Tigers and Washington Nationals. Both franchises are looking to infuse some power into their lineup to continue building around emerging young cores that are loaded with talent.
Rumors have swirled that Santander could land a nine-figure contract that pays at least $20 million annually. While he isn’t on the same tier of player as Soto, Seeing how much money teams were willing to offer the new Mets outfielder, it is clear that franchises are willing to spend to address needs on their roster.
