Orioles outfielder Tyler O’Neill will be in Baltimore for the remainder of the three-year contract he signed last winter, according to a source, after he officially opted in for the rest of his deal Monday.

As part of the three-year, $49.5-million deal O’Neill signed with the Orioles, he could have exercised an opt-out clause following the 2025 season that would have made him a free agent. But after an injury-plagued season, O’Neill opted to stay in Baltimore, where he hit .199 in 54 games.

O’Neill became the first free agent to receive a multiyear contract under president of baseball operations Mike Elias when he signed in December. He was signed to add power from the right side of the plate, particularly against left-handed pitching, but O’Neill wasn’t healthy for long enough stints to find a rhythm during his first year at Camden Yards.

Baltimore signed O’Neill despite a history of injury concerns because of a belief that he could replicate some of the success he produced during a standout 2024 season with the Boston Red Sox. That season, O’Neill clubbed 31 homers — his most since he hit 34 in 2021 with the St. Louis Cardinals — while posting an .847 on-base-plus-slugging percentage.

It does not come as a surprise that O’Neill is opting in to the final two years of his contract, which will be worth about $33 million. Given his struggles in 2025, it likely would have been difficult to earn that much on the open market.

During the final series of the year, O’Neill expressed confidence in his ability to rediscover his form next season. He said he would find a balance this winter in training in order to come back in peak shape.

“I know the player that I am,” O’Neill said in September. “I know the way that I can produce on a day-to-day basis. The guys around me know what I can do, how I can produce, so that’s always there. I always have confidence in yourself even when things are not going good and it’s a grind.”

Elias also shared his belief in what O’Neill can do for his club. At his end-of-season press conference, Elias said it comes down to availability.

“He wasn’t able to express the type of production that he’s done in his best years this year because he wasn’t available that much,” Elias said.

If O’Neill can remain healthy, he has shown the power potential that could deepen Baltimore’s lineup. But he has played more than 100 games twice in his eight-year career.

Next season, O’Neill will compete for playing time with Colton Cowser and Dylan Beavers, primarily. It remains to be seen how Heston Kjerstad will factor into the scene. And while Cowser played center field toward the end of the season after Baltimore traded Cedric Mullins to the New York Mets, the Orioles could look to add another player capable of playing that position.

Notes

• The Orioles are not picking up the club option for utility man Jorge Mateo, according to a source. Mateo, 30, has been with Baltimore since 2021. His contract included an option for $5.5 million, but an injury held Mateo to 42 games this year. Mateo excelled at shortstop in 2022 and swiped 35 bags that year. But his hitting was inconsistent and he didn’t perform at a high level when put in center field on a trial basis. Francys Romero first reported the team’s decision.
• The Orioles announced they have agreed to a one-year deal that includes a 2027 club option with left-hander Dietrich Enns. Baltimore acquired Enns midseason from the Detroit Tigers in exchange for cash, and he turned into a valuable reliever in the second half. In 28 2/3 innings, Enns pitched to a 3.14 ERA. The contract for Enns is worth $2.5 million in 2026, and the club option for 2027 is worth $3.5 million, according to a source. There’s a buyout for the Orioles worth $125,000 if they don’t exercise the option.