BALTIMORE -- For the first time since Mike Elias became general manager in November 2018, the Orioles are signing a free agent to a multiyear deal, filling one of the biggest holes on their roster in the process.

Baltimore on Tuesday announced its three-year deal with outfielder Tyler O'Neill, which includes an opt-out clause after the first year and is worth $49.5 million, according to a source.

The O's also secured their next backup catcher on Tuesday, finalizing a one-year contract with veteran backstop Gary S¨¢nchez that's worth $8.5 million, according to a source.

O'Neill, 29, is a right-handed power hitter who slugged 31 home runs and posted an .847 OPS over 113 games in 2024, his lone year with the Red Sox. He previously played for the Cardinals from '18-23, with his best season coming in '21 (34 homers and a .912 OPS in 138 games).

Entering the offseason, the O's outfield mix featured exclusively left-handed hitters, with Colton Cowser, Cedric Mullins and Heston Kjerstad the projected starters from left to right. Now, they'll have O'Neill, who will help offset the potential loss of Anthony Santander. The switch-hitting Santander hit a career-high 44 home runs last year and is now a free agent.

Injuries have been an issue during the seven-year big league career of O'Neill, who has played in fewer than 100 games in five of those seasons (although the 2020 campaign was shortened to 60 games due to the COVID-19 pandemic). In '24, he had various stints on the injured list due to a concussion, right knee inflammation and a left leg infection.

When healthy, O'Neill has impressed on both sides of the ball. He's a two-time Gold Glove Award winner (2020 and '21) who finished eighth in National League MVP Award voting during his breakout season in '21.

O'Neill's year in Boston proved to be one of his best. He finished with 2.6 bWAR and ranked in the 98th percentile in barrel rate (17.3 percent), according to Statcast.

Although O'Neill mashed against left-handed pitching last season -- posting a 1.179 OPS with 16 of his 31 homers over 156 plate appearances -- he held his own against righties (a .693 OPS in 317 plate appearances). So he may have a near-everyday role in Baltimore, where he could play either corner-outfield spot and also factor into the mix at designated hitter.

Cowser will likely get a lot of starts in left, which would put O'Neill in right. But Cowser can also fill in for Mullins in center, so O'Neill could play in left some as well. There's flexibility, and the O's may not be done adding outfielders to their big league roster, either.

It's worth noting that the signing of O'Neill comes after Elias announced the Orioles are again making modifications to the left-field wall at Camden Yards. Right-handed hitters were often tortured over the past three years, as the wall was pushed back ahead of the 2022 season.

The new left-field wall will be a happy medium between the original modifications of the ballpark (which opened in 1992) and the ones that earned the cavernous wall its ¡°Walltimore¡± moniker over the past three seasons.

O'Neill's right-handed bat should now play better at Camden, where he's never homered in 16 plate appearances, all coming over the past two seasons. He is 3-for-16 (.188) at the ballpark.

As the agreement with O'Neill showcases, the O's are in a much better position to be sizable spenders this offseason because of their new ownership group that took over in March. Control person David Rubenstein, a private equity billionaire and Baltimore native, has publicly stated he trusts the decisions that will be made by Elias and the baseball operations department.

Meanwhile, Elias has expressed confidence that Rubenstein's group will provide the necessary funds to complete the moves he wants to make, more of which could be on the way.

The Orioles have other items on their offseason to-do list (an ace, bullpen depth, possibly another right-handed-hitting outfielder), but they're off to a loud start with the impending additions of O'Neill and S¨¢nchez.