The Tyler O’Neill saga in St. Louis has come to an end, as the Cardinals have traded the outfielder to the Boston Red Sox, as reported by Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and Jon Heyman of the New York Post. In return, the Cardinals have acquired reliever Nick Robertson and prospect Victor Santos.
O’Neill’s time in St. Louis was once promising, with the outfielder exciting the organization as a true five-tool player. In 2021, O’Neill finished 8th in Most Valuable Player voting, slashing .286/.352/.560 with 34 HR and 80 RBI, while also winning his second career Gold Glove. However, since then, he has struggled with injuries, playing in just 168 games and posting a .707 OPS.
Now, O’Neill gets a fresh start in Boston, where he will look to regain his status as a middle-of-the-order bat with elite defense and speed. The move comes as the Red Sox were looking for outfield help after shipping outfielder Alex Verdugo to the New York Yankees.
In exchange for O’Neill, the Cardinals have acquired Robertson, who has shown promise despite struggling in his brief MLB debut this year. The Red Sox also sent prospect Santos, a right-handed pitcher who did not appear in any games in 2023 due to injury.
While it was time for a fresh start for both O’Neill and the Cardinals, his departure is still disappointing for many fans. However, there is hope that O’Neill can still be a valuable piece for a contending ballclub in Boston.