Ex-Cardinals Slugger Expected To Be Available With Reunion Making Sense

Will St. Louis reunite with the slugger this winter?

Sep 11, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox left fielder Tyler O'Neill (17) his a three run home run to win the game against the Baltimore Orioles in ten innings at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images / David Butler II-Imagn Images

Could there be a reunion with the St. Louis Cardinals on the horizon?

St. Louis seemed to have a surplus of outfielders heading into the 2024 season and decided to trade Tyler O'Neill away to the Boston Red Sox. O'Neill dealt with a plethora of injuries in St. Louis and seemed to be the odds man out.

When O'Neill was on the field, he was great for the Cardinals. He won two Gold Glove Awards and had a campaign with over 30 home runs. But, he was one year away from free agency and the Cardinals thought they had other options.

Well, things changed. The outfield seemed like a strength for St. Louis. But Tommy Edman, Dylan Carlson, and Lars Nootbaar all dealt with injuries. Jordan Walker also was demoted to the minors. Edman and Carlson have since been traded, and now it seems like St. Louis will enter the offseason looking to add an outfielder.

It doesn't sound like O'Neill will be back in Boston in 2025, which could make a reunion possible with the Cardinals. He has been relatively healthy this season and has appeared in 108 games this season. Over that stretch, he has launched 31 home runs with 61 RBIs.

He is just 29 years old and could be a great pickup at an affordable rate. Due to his injuries, his market could be "impacted," according to Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter.

"O'Neill looked like a star on the rise when he logged a 34-homer, 6.1-WAR season in 2021," Reuter said. "However, injuries limited him to 168 games in the two years that followed, and the Cardinals sold low when he was traded to the Red Sox. He has reached 100 games played for just the second time in his career, and those injury issues will impact his market. Still, it's impossible to ignore his elite production this year. Wild stat: Half of his 98 hits this year have gone for extra bases."

If St. Louis wants to improve its offense, maybe a reunion should be considered.

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