Ex-Cardinals Fan-Favorite Called 'Perfect Player' To Acquire At Deadline

St. Louis will be looking to add with the trade deadline right around the corner

Patrick McAvoy | Jul 16, 2024

Jul 9, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox left fielder Tyler O'Neill (17) is congratulated after scoring against the Oakland Athletics in the first inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports / David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

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The St. Louis Cardinals are in a good spot with the 2024 Major League Baseball trade deadline quickly approaching.

It now is two weeks away and the Cardinals will be looking to add. St. Louis has an impressive 50-46 record and has completely turned things around after a tough start to the season. The Cardinals have looked like World Series contenders over the last month and if they could add some more pop to the middle of the lineup, that would help prove that fact even more.

Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter put together a list of each team with their biggest need heading into the trade deadline and mentioned former Cardinals Tyler O'Neill as the "perfect player" to add although a deal is extremely unlikely.

"The Cardinals could really use a right-handed hitting outfielder to bring some balance to their lineup alongside left-handed hitting outfielders Brendan Donovan, Alec Burleson, and Lars Nootbaar, with Burleson also seeing semi-regular action at designated hitter," Reuter said. "Ironically, Tyler O'Neill would be the perfect player to plug that hole, but he was shipped to the Red Sox during the offseason."

O'Neill spent the first six seasons of his big league career with the Cardinals but was traded to the Boston Red Sox ahead of the 2024 campaign. While he would be great for the Cardinals, a reunion certainly would be extremely unlikely.

The two-time Gold Glove Award winner had some very high points with the Cardinals, but the relationship with the team was strained last year and Boston isn't selling any time soon.

More MLB: Cardinals Looking To Improve This Area At Deadline According To Insider

Published Jul 16, 2024

PATRICK MCAVOY

Patrick McAvoy's experiences include local and national sports coverage at the New England Sports Network with a focus on baseball and basketball. Outside of journalism, Patrick also is pursuing an MBA at Brandeis University. After quickly rising as one of the most productive writers on the site, he expanded his reach to write for Baseball Essential, a national baseball site in Sports Illustrated Media Group. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding Inside The Cardinals, please reach out to Scott Neville: nevilles@merrimack.edu