The Orioles from Baltimore are stuck in a rut. After a poor start that left Baltimore in the AL East cellar, the O’s dismissed manager Brandon Hyde on Saturday. The Orioles were seen as American League favorites before the season began. What on earth took place? Even though there is a lot of blame to assign, Mike Elias’ actions this winter cannot be ignored. Specifically, they haven’t yet paid off. With Tyler O’Neill, who inked a three-year, $49 million contract this past winter, that is undoubtedly the case.
O’Neill’s improvement at the plate was a major factor in his 2.6 WAR contribution to the Boston Red Sox only past season. Since O’Neill was a young player in St. Louis, there has never been any doubt regarding his defense.
Baltimore Orioles exposed with latest Tyler O’Neill roster move
O’Neill defends in the outfield with the skill of a gold glove. But as of this week, he was batting well below the Mendoza line and leaves a lot to be desired at the plate. A few days ago, FanSided published the following about O’Neill:
“I don’t mean to give away the plot, but the Orioles have not been able to get him right, if you will. While O’Neill has returned from the injured list, he’s performing just as poorly as he was in late April. Orioles fans don’t ask for much, but hitting .200 is a baseline for any player, especially one that is being paid near $50 million for the next three seasons.”
O’Neill’s left shoulder soreness led the Orioles to place him on the disabled list Sunday morning. O’Neill has a lengthy history of losing time in unexpected ways, even though this ailment is fairly minor. Ask Cardinals supporters. Even more amusing is the fact that Dylan Carlson, a former St. Louis top prospect, was added to the taxi squad in part to take O’Neill’s spot.
In just 15 at-bats this season, Carlson has already accumulated a -0.2 WAR, indicating a short sample size in Baltimore. He is undoubtedly not the long-term outfield solution, but it’s reasonable to wonder if O’Neill is either at this time. In 2021, Carlson came in third place for NL Rookie of the Year. He’s since bottomed out, and maybe Elias should be wondering why he spent so much money on two outfielders who didn’t contribute to St. Louis’ long-term success in the first place.
That lesson was long ago learned by Cardinals supporters.
