Red Sox $50 million star outfielder has cut ties with Boston and joined the Cubs

The Boston Red Sox plan to be very aggressive in free agency this winter. They are said to be interested in New York Yankees superstar outfielder Juan Soto, but they are unlikely to be among the top two or three teams in the sweepstakes.

But before the Red Sox can fully enter the open free agency market, they should look at their own free agents. Tyler O’Neill, a standout outfielder, is one of their free agents who will draw substantial interest from contending clubs.

FanSided’s Nick Villano recently projected that the Red Sox will be unable to keep O’Neill. Instead, Villano believes the Chicago Cubs and Craig Counsell will land the great outfielder. Spotrac expects O’Neill to sign a three-year, $49 million contract this winter.

“We can totally see the Chicago Cubs make a big move this offseason, but they might not have the appetite to really go for it. There are a few players who the Cubs will court, including some of the biggest free agent outfielders on the market, but O’Neill would be a great plan once it’s all said and done,” Villano wrote. “He’s under 30 years old, so he should have a few more good years in him. He may be on fraud watch, but it’s just as possible that he is just scratching the surface of his potential.”

Chicago is trying to improve its offensive without breaking the bank. O’Neill would do just that.

Last season, O’Neill hit 31 home runs and had a.847 OPS. He resembled the 26-year-old star he was in 2021 rather than the 30-year-old aged veteran.

If the Cubs can sign him and keep him healthy, they will get a significant boost to their outfield for far less than some of the free agent possibilities.