Although the Dodgers have expressed interest in re-signing outfielder Teoscar Hernández, the franchise has been linked to another free agent outfielder. David Schoenfield of ESPN identified free agent outfielder Tyler O’Neill as a good fit for Los Angeles.
Schoenfield predicted that the Dodgers would sign O’Neill to a three-year, $50 million contract. It’s important to note his exercise didn’t allow the Dodgers to re-sign Hernández.
O’Neill played six seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals, where he earned two Gold Glove awards. The Cardinals traded O’Neill nearly a year ago to the Boston Red Sox in exchange for right-handed pitchers Nick Robertson and Victor Santos.
With the Dodgers moving Mookie Betts to the infield, Los Angeles has an open spot in the outfield. If Hernández is not an option, O’Neill could fill the position. Schoenfield said O’Neill is a better outfielder than Hernández and could bat between Freddie Freeman and Max Muncy.
Like Hernández, O’Neill is a powerful home run hitter. This season, he slugged .511, which is his highest mark since 2021. The 29-year-old also hit 31 home runs, ranking 10th in the American League.
A glaring concern about O’Neill is his frequent trips on the injured list. This year was considered one of his healthier seasons, but O’Neill was placed on the IL three times for varying injuries. He endured a concussion, right knee inflammation, and a left leg infection. He hit the 100 games played mark for the second time in his career, with the first being in 2021.
The Dodgers have already made big moves this offseason, signing two-time Cy Young pitcher Blake Snell to a five-year, $182 million contract. Los Angeles will now have Snell, Tyler Glasnow, Shohei Ohtani, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto in the rotation until at least 2028.
L.A. has a glaring need in the outfield, though. It wouldn’t be out of the realm of possibility for them to bring in Hernández and O’Neill this offseason.
