O’Neill’s option to opt-in did not come as a shock. After only playing in 54 games due to injury, the 30-year-old slashed .199/.292/.392 with nine home runs and 26 RBIs. The odds that O’Neill would have received the same amount of AAV from another team were quite low.
2025 has not been the only year where injuries have hindered the former Gold Glove winner from playing. In his eight-year career, excluding the 60-game 2020 season, O’Neill has only managed to play more than 100 games twice.
With Ward joining the team and O’Neill coming off a disappointing season, the question of whether the Orioles should move on from the 30-year-old have begun swirling. Barring injuries, what kind of role can O’Neill even play?
In this article, the pros and cons of keeping the veteran outfielder will be laid out, as well as a prediction on how the new coaching staff will handle the situation.
What the Orioles Can Gain
After O’Neill’s first year in Baltimore, it is easy to question how much value the outfielder brings to the team. Injuries and inconsistency plagued a season where the former Gold Glove winner struggled to get anything going.
However, if you look at the situation from a glass-half-full perspective, things cannot get much worse in 2026!
