Ex-Cardinals Gold Glove Winner Predicted To Land With Surprise Contender

The former Cardinals slugger will be a hot commodity this winter

Feb 18, 2024; Peoria, AZ, USA; A general view as a coach for the San Diego Padres pours a bucket of baseballs into the to go bag during a workout day at Peoria Sports Complex. Mandatory Credit: Allan Henry-Imagn Images / Allan Henry-Imagn Images

One former St. Louis Cardinals fan-favorite slugger will be available this winter.

St. Louis traded outfielder Tyler O'Neill to the Boston Red Sox ahead of the 2024 Major League Baseball season. The Cardinals traded O'Neill to clear up a logjam in the outfield knowing he was one season away from hitting free agency.

O'Neill will be among the top free-agent outfielders this winter and certainly will cash in. The two-time Gold Glove Award winner has stayed relatively healthy this season and it has translated to a solid performance from the plate. O'Neill has 25 home runs this season to go along with 50 RBIs and is just 29 years old.

He actually would fill a hole for St. Louis, but a reunion certainly is unlikely. It's too early to know where he will end up, but Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter predicted that he will end up signing with the Kansas City Royals.

"The Royals need to find some middle-of-the-order help for the trio of Bobby Witt Jr., Salvador Pérez and Vinnie Pasquantino, and outfielder Tyler O'Neill gives them a productive slugger still in the prime of his career as he just turned 29 years old in June," Reuter said.

The Royals have been one of the biggest surprises in baseball this season but they still need some more pop in the middle of the lineup. If they could end up landing someone like O'Neill this winter to fill that hole, they realistically could be among the top contenders in the American League in 2025.

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