5 free agent outfielders the Guardians should target

Cleveland Guardians v Detroit Tigers - Game One
Cleveland Guardians v Detroit Tigers - Game One | Nic Antaya/GettyImages
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1. Tyler O'Neill - Boston Red Sox

It was not that long ago that Tyler O'Neill was considered to be one of the best outfielders in baseball. Slashing .286/.352/.560 with 34 home runs and 26 doubles while driving in 80 runs, O'Neill looked to be on the fast track toward becoming a superstar. Unfortunately, injuries would limit O'Neill to just 168 games over the next two seasons where his slash line plummeted to .229/.310/.397, and he failed to match his double and home run totals from 2021, with 25 and 23, respectively.

O'Neill was traded from St. Louis to Boston before 2024, and the change of scenery seems to be just what he needed. Slugging 31 home runs and collecting 18 doubles with a slash line of .241/.336/.511 in 13 games, O'Neill was able to get back to producing power numbers that most expected to continue after his 2021 breakout. This should no doubt result in plenty of teams looking to acquire his services, and the Guardians should be one of them.

Sure, seeing his slash line be closer to 2021 would be nice, but even if it stays at 2024's rate, it would still be acceptable if O'Neill's power surge can continue. Having another bat in the lineup that can hit for power and power that goes over the fence would make a huge difference in Cleveland's overall offensive output.

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