Ex-Cardinals Gold Glover Predicted To Win AL Comeback Player Of The Year Award

The former St. Louis slugger is back to his 2021 form

Jul 28, 2023; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals left fielder Tyler O'Neill (27) leaps at the wall and catches a fly ball against the Chicago Cubs during the second inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images / Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals thought last winter's additions would be enough to turn things around after enduring a 91-loss season but sadly, the front office failed to make the right moves.

Under Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak's leadership, St. Louis has made a slew of poor decisions that have cost the franchise years of star talent.

Not long after trading a two-time Gold Glove defender for pitching last offseason, the former Cardinals slugger is on the verge of being recognized for his outstanding performance in 2024.

"(Tyler) O’Neill was coming off two subpar seasons in St. Louis — hitting .228 with 14 homers in 96 games in 2022 and .231 with nine home runs in 72 games in 2023 — but he made a strong comeback this year in Boston despite suffering some injuries," The Athletic's Jim Bowden wrote when predicting O'Neill as next to win American League Comeback Player of the Year. "He’s slashed .249/.343/.532 with 18 doubles, 31 home runs and 61 RBIs over 107 games, his best season since 2021 when he finished eighth in the National League MVP voting."

O'Neill was traded to the Red Sox last offseason in a deal for right-handed pitchers Nick Robertson and Victor Santos. The former is no longer with the Cardinals and the latter has posted a 5.68 ERA with a 1.51 WHIP in 76 innings pitched for Triple-A Memphis.

It's safe to say the Cardinals got the raw end of the deal with the O'Neill trade. To think that Mozeliak traded a player capable of smashing 31 home runs in exchange for two underperforming minor league relievers is mind-boggling.

Unfortunately, St. Louis fans have been dealing with watching former Cardinals players thrive elsewhere for nearly a decade. Hopefully, changes will soon be coming to the organization.

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