Maple Ridge's slugger Tyler O'Neill has finalized a new contract worth almost $50 million.
On Tuesday, the Baltimore Orioles announced they have signed a three-year deal with O'Neill, worth $49.5 million, according to the team's official website. It is equally divided into $16.5 million per season.
O'Neill grew up in Maple Ridge, and played with the Langley Blaze through his high school years. He was originally drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the third round, 85th overall, in 2013.
This contract is a huge raise, as O'Neill has signed one-year deals of $3.4, $4.95 and $5.85 million the past three seasons. The new deal contains an opt-out clause after the first year.
Now 29, the right-handed power hitter is coming off a great year, in which he hit 31 home runs, batted .241, and posted an .847 OPS in just 113 games with the Boston Red Sox.
Injuries have been an issue during his seven-year big league career. He has played in fewer than 100 games in five of those seasons 鈥� although the 2020 campaign was shortened to 60 games due to COVID-19. Last season, he had various stints on the injured list with a concussion, right knee inflammation, and a left leg infection, noted the Jake Rill of MLB.com.
O'Neill has been a great asset at the plate and in the field, and won Gold Glove Awards in both 2020 and 2021.
His new ballpark, Camden Yards in Baltimore, has been known as Walltimore for the trouble that right-handed hitters had in pulling the ball for home runs in the deep park. But the club announced the left field fence is coming in just prior to signing their new power source.
The deal is one of the richest sports contracts ever signed by a Maple Ridge athlete. Hall-of-famer Larry Walker Jr. signed a larger contract overall, but over double the term, when he signed a $75 million, six-year contract (2000 to 2005) with the Colorado Rockies.
