Trade Involving Cardinals Gold Glove Winner Reportedly 'Could Be In Play'

St. Louis outfielder could be dealt for pitching this offseason

The St. Louis Cardinals will be looking to make moves this offseason to rejuvenize the pitching staff.

After finishing last season with the fifth-worst record in baseball -- largely due to their No. 24 ranked pitching staff -- the Cardinals might need to trade away talent to turn things around.

"The Cardinals have plenty of outfield depth, so moving (Tyler) O'Neill in a deal for pitching could be in play," MLB.com's Mark Feinsand reported Sunday.

O'Neill won the Gold Glove Award in back-to-back seasons from 2020-2021 but has struggled recently with injuries and inconsistency offensively.

The 28-year-old outfielder batted .231 with 23 extra-base hits, including nine home runs, 21 RBIs, and .715 OPS in 72 games played for the Cardinals in 2023.

The O'Neill trade rumors have been floating around since the beginning of last season and it seems that a transaction might come to fruition.

The Cardinals' outfield is loaded with weapons and it would make sense for St. Louis to unload some of their excess talents to help bolster their decimated pitching staff. Additions of Sonny Gray, Kyle Gibson and Lance Lynn will make a sizeable difference but the Cardinals could benefit from some added depth in the bullpen. 

With O'Neill going into his final year of arbitration and estimated to earn $5.4 million according to Spotrac, the Cardinals should be looking to trade him and capitalize on a package deal for pitching.

It'll be a bittersweet day to see the once-promising rising star traded away but the Cardinals must prioritize pitching if they want to compete next season.  

More MLB: Here's Reported Contract Details For Sonny Gray's Mega-Deal With Cardinals