6 ways the Red Sox can fill the hole left by O'Neill ... from within

This story was excerpted from Ian Browne's Red Sox Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

BOSTON -- When Tyler O’Neill and the team-leading 31 homers he hit for the Red Sox last season departed for Baltimore via free agency in December, it seemed that Boston would replace him with someone of similar caliber.

That hasn’t happened yet. Alex Bregman remains the biggest right-handed-hitting threat on the free-agent market, but the Sox don’t seem inclined to sign him to a long-term deal.

So where does that leave Boston's lineup in its quest to have more right-handed-hitting production if Bregman winds up elsewhere?

Here are some ways the Red Sox can replace O’Neill collectively:

Story (finally) stays healthy

Trevor Story’s first three seasons in Boston were a significant disappointment, mainly because of injuries. He’s played 163 games over that span, just one season’s worth of games across three years. Story’s injury last season had nothing to do with durability. It was a freak accident in which he landed on his left shoulder trying to make a spectacular play in Anaheim on April 5. For an example of an injury-marred player at last getting healthy and regaining past form, look no further than Chris Sale, who won the National League Cy Young Award last season following his trade from Boston to Atlanta in December 2023. Perhaps Story is simply due for a healthy year -- one that could include 25 homers and 85-90 RBIs.

Campbell breaks out

One of the best storylines heading into Spring Training is Kristian Campbell’s quest to make the Opening Day roster. MLB Pipeline’s No. 7 prospect and Boston’s No. 3 was a breakout player in his first full professional season. Campbell, the former Georgia Tech product, could be just the right-handed hitter the Red Sox need if he can hit the ground running as a rookie. Campbell had 20 homers and a .997 OPS across three levels of the Minors last season. Fenway could be pretty friendly for him. And second base -- one of the many positions he can play -- is up for grabs.

Grissom rebounds

Speaking of second base, nobody on the Red Sox thirsts for redemption more than Vaughn Grissom, who flamed out swiftly after he was acquired for Sale. Grissom had to hear about being on the wrong end of that trade for a full season. But he should come into Spring Training healthy this year after hamstring woes hindered him from the jump a year ago. Until last year, Grissom had a track record of being able to hit. As manager Alex Cora said at the Winter Meetings, 2024 was a mulligan for Grissom.

Rafaela improves

Ceddanne Rafaela’s calling card is his elite defense, but his offense is a work in progress. Rafaela’s lack of plate discipline got him in big trouble during the final couple months of the season. When Rafaela makes good swing decisions, he is capable of having a month like the one he had July, when he posted an .812 OPS. During a rookie season in which he lacked consistency, Rafaela still hit 23 doubles and belted 15 homers.

Wong holds up

Remember in the first half of last season when catcher Connor Wong’s improved offense was one of the stories of the season for Boston? Wong had a March/April OPS of .948, followed by .755 in May and .885 in June. It wasn’t good after that, with Wong producing a cumulative OPS of .671 over the final three months. To hold up better over a full season, Wong spent much of the past winter bulking up. He hit 13 homers last season and has the raw power to get into the 20s.

Sox reunite with former RH bat

With the big hitters aside from Bregman off the market, there are a few platoon options out there who used to call Fenway home. Justin Turner would be a nice readdition to the clubhouse and the lineup. Tommy Pham was added for the stretch run in 2022, and he fit in well during that brief period. He has a winner’s mentality. Adam Duvall hit some tape-measure shots during his lone season with the Red Sox in ’23, and he loved hitting at Fenway earlier in his career with the Braves.