Your esteemed writer here, bored while we wait for free agency to begin and therefore helping one of my favorite owners find a new home for OF Paul O’Neill.
Acquired for Brian McRae and Tony Womack, O’Neill has apparently spent approximately five minutes in Toronto before being shopped “for probably less than you would think.” Ignoring, for the moment, the obvious question of why he was acquired in the first place if the intention was immediately to flip him, we’re now left trying to find a suitable landing spot for an intriguing player.
The reason for the sudden availability? Shane Spencer has apparently entered the chat.
Now, let’s pretend for a moment that Spencer and O’Neill couldn’t coexist. In reality, there’s probably an interesting platoon to be had there, as both bring different strengths to the table. But since we’re playing matchmaker, where does a player with strong rates, a solid bat, and somewhat underwhelming counting stats fit best?
Chicago Cubs – I think we all assume Chicago will aim higher, and there are certainly bigger names on the market. Still, given that they’ve all but put Lance Johnson on a billboard reading “For Sale,” a Johnson-for-O’Neill swap is at least mildly interesting. Neither player is likely to alter the trajectory of a franchise, but both might benefit from a change of scenery.
Los Angeles Dodgers – Shawn Green seemingly remains trapped in a perpetual state of being day-to-day, and the Dodgers could use outfield depth. Assuming Jeffrey Hammonds isn’t re-signed—and he probably shouldn’t be—Los Angeles makes a fair amount of sense. O’Neill could either step into a starting role or provide quality at-bats off the bench, which contenders always need more of than they realize.
Las Vegas Angels – Is O’Neill an upgrade over Bruce Aven? Honestly, that’s debatable. But with Randy Winn, Ken Griffey Jr., and Vladimir Guerrero already occupying outfield spots, this doesn’t feel like a particularly clean fit. There are only so many at-bats to go around, and O’Neill probably deserves a more defined role than this situation would offer.
Philadelphia Phillies – At worst, he’d be one of their three best outfielders, and at best he could become an everyday contributor on a club that still seems to be searching for answers in the corners. Of the teams listed, this might be the cleanest baseball fit, even if it lacks the intrigue of seeing him land with a contender.
Personally, I’d rank them Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Las Vegas. The Phillies need him the most, the Dodgers could use him the best, the Cubs are merely interesting, and the Angels feel like a solution in search of a problem.
Of course, all of this assumes Toronto actually wants to trade him and isn’t simply engaging in that beloved pastime of acquiring a player and immediately discovering that another owner likes him more.
Where do you think Paul O’Neill should end up?