Will Orioles move on from Tyler O’Neill? | MAILBAG

Question: I’ve seen stories that the Orioles would not want to DFA Tyler O”Neill or send him to Norfolk during this season because they are on the hook for two years salary of $33 million.  If that is the reason, it would be falling for what economists call the “Sunk Cost Fallacy.” Money already spent is money gone. If they can get a better player for $1 million per year, then the cost of replacing him is $2 million, not $33 million

This is a long windup to my question: What is a good reason to keep O’Neill? From: Steven Salop

Answer: Steven, the Orioles can’t send O’Neill to Norfolk except on a rehab assignment because he has enough service time to refuse to go.

The Orioles don’t have many right-handed hitting outfielders in the high minor leagues. They do have Tommy Pham, whom they signed a few weeks ago. Pham is in Norfolk and has an opt-out on June 12^th, so it’s possible he could join the Orioles, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the Orioles will cut O’Neill if he does.

Many fans are eager to see the Orioles move on from O’Neill, but they need to have better alternatives. There aren’t many attractive options available, and it’s unlikely they’ll trade now. The trade deadline is August 3^rd, and that’s nearly two months away.

Veteran outfielder Andrew McCutchen was recently released by the Texas Rangers, and he could be an interesting option for the Orioles.

Question: Since the Rule 5 draft doesn’t take place until December, why did they place Reed Trimble on the 40-man roster so soon? From: Dennis Applegarth

Answer: Dennis, Reed Trimble has been on the 40-man roster since last November so that the Orioles could protect him in the December 2025 Rule 5. He was also eligible for the December 2024 draft and not protected, and also not drafted.

Most weekdays, I’ll be answering at least one Orioles question. If you’d like to submit a question, send it to: Rich@BaltimoreBaseball.com. Questions may be edited for clarity, length and style.