The Orioles announced the signings in free agency of outfielder Tyler O’Neill and catcher Gary Sánchez earlier today. Physicals were passed and contracts inked.

O’Neill received a three-year deal for $49.5 million and Sánchez received a one-year deal for $8 million.

The 40-man roster has 39 players, leaving room if the Orioles want to make a selection in Wednesday afternoon’s Rule 5 draft that wraps up the Winter Meetings.

“Pretty clearly two profiles we had been seeking going into the offseason,” executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias said during his media scrum at the Hilton Anatole Hotel. “They both bring tremendous amounts of right-handed power. They’re good against both sides, righty and lefty pitching, but extremely productive, Tyler in particular, against left-handed pitching. That's something that you look at the composition of the rest of our team was a relative weakness. We have a lot of left-handed hitters, particularly in the outfield.”

O’Neill replaces Anthony Santander, who remains on the free-agent market and reportedly is attracting interest from other teams in the division.

The Orioles today announced that they have agreed to terms with outfielder TYLER O’NEILL on a three-year major league contract for the 2025-27 seasons with a player opt-out following 2025, and catcher GARY SÁNCHEZ on a one-year major league contract for the 2025 season. 

O’Neill, 29, slashed .241/.336/.511 (99-for-411) with 18 doubles, 31 home runs, 74 runs scored, 61 RBI, 53 walks (5 IBB), seven hit-by-pitches, and four stolen bases in 113 games with the Boston Red Sox in 2024. His 31 homers led the team, the first Red Sox outfielder to lead the club in home runs since 2019. He was selected as the 2024 Players Choice Awards American League Comeback Player of the Year, an honor voted on by fellow players. O’Neill led all qualified MLB players with a .750 slugging percentage and finished second with a 1.179 OPS against left-handed pitching last season, while his 16 homers against southpaws were tied for the second most in the majors in 2024. In his first game with the Red Sox on March 28 at Seattle, he went deep in his fifth straight Opening Day to become the first player in MLB history to do so. O’Neill tallied two walk-off hits last year, including a three-run home run with Boston trailing 3-2 in the 10^th inning on September 11 against Baltimore. 

The two-time Gold Glover with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2020 and 2021 was acquired by the Red Sox in exchange for right-handed pitchers Nick Robertson and Victor Santos on December 8, 2023. In seven big league seasons between the two clubs, O’Neill has batted .246/.322/.469 (462-for-1875) with 85 doubles, three triples, 109 home runs, 313 runs scored, 278 RBI, 189 walks (5 IBB), 29 hit-by-pitches, and 44 stolen bases in 590 games. Born in Burnaby, British Columbia, his 109 homers are 10^th all-time by a Canadian-born player and the second most among active players behind Toronto’s Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (160). O’Neill was originally selected by the Seattle Mariners in the third round (No. 85 overall) of the 2013 First-Year Player Draft out of Garibaldi (BC, CAN) Secondary School before being acquired by St. Louis for left-handed pitcher Marco Gonzales on July 21, 2017. 

Sánchez, 32, slashed .220/.307/.392 (54-for-245) with seven doubles, one triple, 11 home runs, 30 runs scored, 37 RBI, 27 walks, and five hit-by-pitches in 89 games with the Milwaukee Brewers in 2024. He also appeared in two Postseason games in the National League Wild Card Series against the New York Mets, going 2-for-7 with a double. Seven of his 11 homers came against left-handed pitchers as he slugged .423 against southpaws compared to .369 vs. righties last season. 

Over 10 MLB seasons, Sánchez has batted .224/.309/.463 (636-for-2836) with 118 doubles, three triples, 184 home runs, 404 runs scored, 485 RBI, 308 walks (9 IBB), 49 hit-by-pitches, and six stolen bases in 830 career games with the Brewers, Mets, San Diego Padres, Minnesota Twins, and New York Yankees. The two-time All-Star has hit 151 homers as a catcher since 2016, trailing only Kansas City’s Salvador Perez (152) for the most in the majors during that time. He finished second in the American League Rookie of the Year voting in 2016 behind Detroit’s Michael Fulmer and earned his only career Silver Slugger Award in 2017. 

The first Winter Meetings with Mike Elias in the Orioles’ front office wasn’t about improving the product on the field. Six years ago, the new executive vice president/general manager stayed busy interviewing candidates to fill positions in departments that needed to be built or restructured, and hiring his first manager – the news of an agreement with Cubs bench coach Brandon Hyde breaking as Elias met with media in his hotel suite.

Elias is in Dallas this week searching for at least one starting pitcher and reliever. He’s already found his right fielder and backup catcher, moves he can’t discuss publicly until contracts are signed. Priorities since the 2018 offseason have shifted like tectonic plates.

One of the most important decisions was made prior to the Orioles' arrival at the Hilton Anatole Hotel. The coaching staff had vacancies that needed to be filled – two assistant hitting coaches, a bench coach and major league coach. The solution was promoting offensive strategy coach Cody Asche to hitting coach, hiring Tommy Joseph and naming Sherman Johnson assistants, promoting Triple-A Norfolk manager Buck Britton to major league coach and hiring former catcher Robinson Chirinos as bench coach.

Johnson also maintains his duties as upper-level hitting coordinator.

Chirinos is making his coaching debut as the replacement for Fredi González. His final season as a player was in 2022, when he appeared in 67 games with the Orioles and backed up Adley Rutschman.

Under the Mike Elias regime, Matt Blood has played a prominent role for the Orioles. He was hired first as director of player development in September of 2019. On his watch, the O’s farm system became the first to be ranked No. 1 in five straight rankings by MLBPipeline.com. 

Blood was promoted to his current role, vice president, player development and domestic scouting in October of 2023.

He was involved in the recent hiring of Triple-A Norfolk manager Tim Federowicz, someone he knows since both were students and involved with the baseball team at the University of North Carolina.

When Buck Britton was hired to move to the O’s big league coaching staff, the club interviewed several candidates for their Triple-A opening before the recent hiring of Federowicz.

Federowicz had a 13-year pro career and played parts of eight season in the majors as a catcher with six teams. He retired in December of 2021.

The Orioles haven’t found their starting pitcher in Dallas and they aren’t done with the bullpen. The work continues today and through the offseason. The last day of the Winter Meetings isn’t a deadline to finish the roster.

Is there anything else to do with position players?

The club appears set barring a trade, though it’s Dec. 10 and a lot can happen. The 13 non-pitchers right now are easy to identify.

We know the catchers - Adley Rutschman and Gary Sánchez. We know that Colton Cowser, Cedric Mullins, Heston Kjerstad and Tyler O’Neill are expected to be the four outfielders. And we know that it leaves room for seven infielders, which on paper read as Gunnar Henderson, Jordan Westburg, Jackson Holliday, Ryan Mountcastle, Ryan O’Hearn, Ramón Urías and Jorge Mateo.

Top prospect Coby Mayo and Emmanuel Rivera, who signed a one-year contract for $1 million and is out of minor league options, appear to be on the outside. To get either one of them in the picture might require dealing an infielder.

In executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias’ session earlier today with media at the Winter Meetings in Dallas, he provided an update on the search for starting pitching and a willingness to explore every option available.

Here are some quick hits.

* Surrendering a draft pick for a pitcher who rejected the qualifying offer isn’t a deal-breaker for the Orioles.

“We’re in on everybody,” Elias said. “We’re talking to everybody. When there’s aspects of the rules that create wrinkles, you’ve got to weigh them, so we do that. But there is no player that we’re not interested in or pursuing in some shape or fashion if we feel like the talent is additive to the current roster that we have."

* Elias is immersed in trade talks that also could remove major league talent from his roster.

Minor League Baseball (“MiLB”) is pleased to announce that the Baltimore Orioles organization has been named the recipient of the inaugural MiLB Sportsmanship Award. This award is presented to the Major League Baseball (“MLB”) organization whose Minor League personnel best exemplify MiLB’s commitment to fostering a culture of sportsmanship and professionalism on the field.

Four organizations were selected as finalists for this award for the 2024 season: Arizona Diamondbacks, Miami Marlins, Milwaukee Brewers, and Baltimore Orioles. Baltimore’s four affiliates – Norfolk, Bowie (now Chesapeake), Aberdeen and Delmarva – set the standard for exemplary sportsmanship while maintaining a competitive environment for player development without undue interruptions from on-field conflicts. Remarkably, no player, manager, or coach in the Orioles system missed a game due to a suspension for on-field conduct in 2024.

“From top to bottom throughout the season, the Orioles organization stood out for their professionalism on the field and the respect shown to umpires, opponents, and fans,” said Michael Hill, MLB’s Senior Vice President of On-Field Operations. “We appreciate their efforts and are pleased to recognize them with this well-deserved honor.”

“We pride ourselves on building a strong learning environment that helps people grow and believe that displaying exemplary behavior is an important aspect of that standard,” said Anthony Villa, Baltimore’s Director of Player Development. “We are proud to be recognized by Minor League Baseball with the inaugural MiLB Sportsmanship Award as this is a credit to our players, our coaches, our support staff, and everyone in between, showcasing their positive energy and the effort they bring to their jobs every single day.”

Each season, MLB organizations work closely with their on-field personnel to emphasize the importance of developing as professionals while creating a positive environment on and off the field. Educational materials are provided to communicate the significance of an on-field culture that positively impacts the game of baseball, Minor League players, and fans.

The Orioles' minor leagues have come a long way under the Mike Elias regime to become the No. 1 ranked organization in the majors. The O's no longer claim the top spot, but they do remain as one of baseball's top farms.

Today, they got another, different honor.

The Orioles organization was named the recipient of the inaugural MiLB Sportsmanship Award. This award is presented to the Major League Baseball organization whose Minor League personnel best exemplify MiLB’s commitment to fostering a culture of sportsmanship and professionalism on the field.

The four organizations that were finalists for the 2024 season were Arizona, Baltimore, Miami and Milwaukee. 

Per a Minor League Baseball press release, "Baltimore’s four affiliates – Norfolk, Bowie (now Chesapeake), Aberdeen and Delmarva – set the standard for exemplary sportsmanship while maintaining a competitive environment for player development without undue interruptions from on-field conflicts. Remarkably, no player, manager, or coach in the Orioles system missed a game due to a suspension for on-field conduct in 2024."

The Orioles haven’t announced their agreements with outfielder Tyler O’Neill and catcher Gary Sánchez, whose contracts become official after they pass their physicals. Two important items will crossed off the shopping list, with O’Neill replacing Anthony Santander in right and Sánchez replacing James McCann as the backup.

The position side appears to be completed unless there’s some late tinkering. It’s the pitching that remains a priority.

The rotation and bullpen are areas that lead to discussions with rival executives and agents. The Winter Meetings in Dallas are the latest setting for them.

“The whole offseason, what we’re trying to do is just improve our team anyway we can,” said assistant general manager Eve Rosenbaum. “We set out wanting to improve our offense, particularly with guys who can mash against left-handed pitchers, so that’s going to be a continued priority for us, bringing in some righty bats. And pitching I think is the other big area. We’ve been talking to a ton of pitchers so far this offseason — some who have signed already with other teams, some who haven’t signed yet. Looking at both starters and relievers.

“We expect Félix (Bautista) to be back, but he’s coming off Tommy John surgery, of course, so we want to make sure he has plenty of support in that bullpen if he can’t pitch as frequently as maybe we’re used to him pitching in the past. So definitely looking to do whatever we can to shore that up, whether that’s with internal options or externally. And then starting. I think it’s no secret that we have some guys who are down with Tommy John. Corbin Burnes has left. So we’re looking for at least one solid starter to bring in, because you can never have too much pitching, especially in this day and age.”

At his offseason home in Florida last Thursday night, while it was very cold in Baltimore, O’s manager Brandon Hyde joined us from a much warmer climate. When Brett Hollander and I hosted the season debut edition of the "Hot Stove" radio show on WBAL Radio, Hyde was a guest.

Not to rub it in, but when asked how the weather was in his neighborhood at that time, he told us he was in shorts and getting ready to cookout.

Yeah, that could work.

On matters relating to his baseball team, Hyde provided a few other thoughts.

Please note this interview took place before the O's weekend agreements with Tyler O'Neill and Gary Sanchez. And he cannot publicly talk about that pair anyway until the O's make those signings official. That seems likely to come this week during the Winters Meetings in Dallas. 

Last year’s Winter Meetings appeared to confirm the handful of Orioles prospects deemed untouchable, at least to some rival executives - a group that included Jackson Holliday, Coby Mayo and Heston Kjerstad.

This week could present an opportunity for media in Dallas to glean whether some statuses have changed.

Holliday projects as the starting second baseman after a rough introduction to the majors, where he batted .189/.255/.311 with 69 strikeouts in 60 games. He’s made an adjustment at the plate, removing the leg lift as a timing mechanism and going with a toe tap, and the Orioles maintain a high opinion of a player drafted one/one and who ranked as the top prospect in baseball.

Jordan Westburg, Jorge Mateo and Ramón Urías also can play second, giving manager Brandon Hyde infield flexibility. But the ideal setup has Holliday at second, Westburg at third and Urías and Mateo working in utility roles. Mateo also could be an extra right-handed hitting outfielder.

Kjerstad could find many more opportunities bouncing between the outfield and designated hitter. The Orioles signed Tyler O’Neill to replace Anthony Santander, but Kjerstad offers the contrast of a left-handed bat.

The Orioles have agreed to a contract with a right-handed hitter with thump, filling one key need on their offseason wish list. They came to terms with free agent outfielder Tyler O’Neill on a three-year deal for $49.5 million. The deal has yet to be officially announced.

O’Neill is the first free agent the O’s acquired with a multi-year deal since Mike Elias took over as general manager. He can opt out after the 2025 season, which would essentially make this a one-year deal.

O’Neill, who turns 30 on June 22, last year for Boston made 56 starts in left field, 34 in right field and 17 as the DH. His addition seems to make it quite unlikely now that the O’s will re-sign free agent outfielder Anthony Santander.

O'Neill was named the Red Sox Comeback Player of the Year by the Baseball Writers' Association of America's Boston chapter. O’Neill missed 27 games due to three stints on the injured list. He went to the seven-day concussion IL on April 18 and also went on the IL May 29 with right knee inflammation and Aug. 7 with a lower leg infection.

Over 113 games and 473 plate appearances with Boston, he hit .241/.336/.511/.847 with a 132 OPS+ that was just below Santander’s 134.

The Orioles found their right-handed hitting outfielder.

The club is signing Tyler O’Neill to a three-year contract worth $49.5 million, according to a source. The deal, which becomes official after he passes a physical, includes an opt-out after 2025.

This is the first multi-year free-agent contract since Mike Elias joined the front office, though it could become a one-year deal with the opt-out. The Orioles hired Elias as executive vice president/general manager in November 2018.

O’Neill’s deal also signals that the club is moving on from Anthony Santander, a free agent who hit 44 home runs this summer.

Power isn’t sacrificed with O’Neill in the fold. He hit 33 homers in 113 games with the Red Sox and posted a .336 on-base percentage in 473 plate appearances. Santander owns a career .307 OBP.

For Orioles lefty Trevor Rogers, the key to getting some velocity back and hopefully his previous big league form with it could come from his legs.

During this previous interview here with Rogers, he said weight room work will be big for him this winter. And that he learned via trips to Driveline Baseball in Phoenix, that his lower body strength was not what was needed. 

“The Orioles and Driveline, we’ve been in constant communication, just making sure we are all on the same page,” said Rogers, 27. “We looked at the numbers and my lower body strength was far below average. So, it correlates with velocity.

“To be honest I was happy to see that. If everything was right in the middle or average, we might have a bigger question. But knowing that was lacking and it contributed to my lower velocity, I was excited to know there is an answer. And I can work to attain the goal of getting stronger.”

Last year Rogers was traded from Miami to the Orioles on July 30^th for Connor Norby and Kyle Stowers. He had a 7.11 ERA in four O’s starts before being sent to the minors where he finished the year at Triple-A Norfolk. He made one terrible start for the Tides (pitching when he was ill), but had an ERA of 2.96 his last four Tides starts.

The work required to build the 26-man roster for Opening Day is a long way from completion. The surface hasn’t even been scratched.

At least one starter and reliever, a right-handed bat – likely for the outfield – and a backup catcher bring boxes that still need checking. The Orioles are on the clock but the ticking isn’t really that loud. Plenty of time remains to finish shopping before camp opens in mid-February. Plenty of names remain on the board who could fill specific needs of the club, and there are also trade talks that might produce upgrades.

This is the point in the offseason when I’m reminded of the gaps in the roster. A national publication is asking for a projected lineup, rotation, bullpen and bench. The list will be outdated in a few months, but that isn’t my problem.

The issue is coming up with 26 names.

Starting with the rotation, an Opening Day in December could line up Zach Eflin, Grayson Rodriguez, Dean Kremer, Trevor Rogers and Cade Povich, with the first two vying for the March 27 game in Toronto. Albert Suárez is a possibility, of course.

The Orioles have made the following roster move:

• RHP Thaddeus Ward has cleared outright waivers and been assigned to Triple-A Norfolk.

The Orioles’ 40-man roster currently has 37 players.

The Orioles have hired a new manager at Triple-A Norfolk.

Tim Federowicz will be the replacement for Buck Britton, who joined the Orioles’ staff as major league coach. He managed the Triple-A Toledo Mud Hens in the Tigers’ system this summer.

Federowicz, 37, served as the Tigers’ catching coach in 2023 after managing the Triple-A Tacoma Rainiers in the Mariners’ system the previous year. He retired as a player in December 2021.

The Red Sox drafted Federowicz in the seventh round in 2008 out of the University of North Carolina. He caught for six teams over parts of eight major league seasons, the first four with the Dodgers.

Orioles ties would develop later.

We got more evidence last night that while the Orioles are very aware that their offense fell off big late last season, they still see an overall good offense and one that does not need a major change or overhaul.

We are talking about individuals working to make their own improvements, helping the team improve.

A Baltimore offense that ranked fourth in the majors in 2024 scoring 4.85 runs per game is not going to undergo massive alterations.

On the first edition for this winter of the Orioles “Hot Stove Radio Show” last night on WBAL Radio in Baltimore, O’s hitting coach Cody Asche was a guest.

He knows the offense was part of the blame for the team going 26-27 from Aug. 1 on. The Orioles scored one run in two playoff games.

It has been a somewhat slow Hot Stove season thus far in terms of signings. But the stove may be really about to get hot.

The biggest free agent prize – outfielder Juan Soto – may be close to signing and it could happen during the Winter Meetings that begin on Monday. He has been the most talked about player this offseason and that will hold up until he signs.

Will the dam burst after that?

This is what many in the industry seem to believe. Once Soto is off the market, teams may pivot to outfielders Anthony Santander and Teoscar Hernández and really kick off the pursuit of position players. Big dollar teams that miss out on Soto, could move back to the high-end starting pitcher market chasing the likes of Corbin Burnes and Max Fried.

Where does this leave the Orioles?

Among the many questions to land in the recent mailbag was one that I put aside to give it a little more thought and provide a more expansive response.

Who will get more starts in center field next season, Cedric Mullins or Colton Cowser?

The immediate response is Mullins because he’s exclusively a center fielder and Cowser is first in line for left. Mullins made 121 starts in the middle this year and Cowser made 36 in center, 91 in left and six in right.

That’s advantage Mullins. It should be sustained next season.

I’d still expect Mullins to be the primary center fielder in 2025 after the Orioles tendered him a contract, with MLBTradeRumors.com projecting his salary at $8.7 million. He is a year away from free agency, with 2023 first-round draft pick Enrique Bradfield Jr. waiting in the wings after climbing to Double-A over the summer.