Does Tyler O’Neill make sense as a free agent target for the Twins?

By now you’ve probably seen articles floating around the internet linking Boston Red Sox outfielder Tyler O’Neill to the Minnesota Twins. To be completely clear, no insider source has yet connected any dots between the two sides, but fact that his name has popped up in relation to the Twins is worth discussing to determine whether the smoke should actually lead to a fire on the hot stove.

Minnesota heads into another offseason where fans are bracing for a lack of action, even though moves need to be made. A serious franchise would look at the historic collapse that occurred as the ned result of a frugal winter last year and try to make changes.

Nobody has ever accused the Pohlads of being serious owners, though.

Animosity toward ownership aside, the fact remains that there are glaring holes in the Twins’ lineup that need to at least be theoretically addressed. Max Kepler is a free agent this winter and is unlikely to return, and Minnesota needs to find both more outfield depth and a slugger to add some power to the lineup.

That’s where O’Neill’s name comes into play.

How would Tyler O’Neill fit with the Twins lineup?

Last year O’Neill hit .241/.336/.511 with a 2.5 fWAR, the former being one of the best slash lines of his career and the best batting average he’s posted since his MVP-caliber 2021 season. He fills an obvious need in the outfield, a spot that is one of the biggest areas the Twins need to address this winter.

Matt Wallner and Byron Buxton are essentially locks to be starters next year, but there are major questions about who fills in for the departing Kepler. Emmanuel Rodriguez is an in-house candidate but he’s yet to make his MLB debut. Trevor Larnach bounced back as the year went on but he’s far less reliable than Wallner and isn’t going to play centerfield.

Austin Martin is expected to provide some depth, but O’Neill would be an easy Opening Day starter in right. Not only that, but the .847 OPS and 131 OPS+ were the second-highest marks in those categories of his career and displays the sort of power hitting the Twins lineup badly needs.

The wet blanket, of course, is wondering whether the team would be willing to spend in free agency to bring O’Neill in.

The salary projection that has been thrown out is two-years, $28 million which is roughly $28 million more than the Twins would be comfortable spending. That’s why E-Rod might be the best bet to replace Kepler since he’s a dirt cheap internal option that requires the least amount of work and the lowest possible dollar amount to bring in.

O’Neill does makes a lot of sense for the Twins, and having him in the lineup would make the team better. Unless the Twins are willing to reverse course on their frugalness, though, it’s unlikely that this reaches a stage anywhere beyond the conversation phase.

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