Ex-Cardinals Slugger Likely Won't Land Large Deal; Could Door Be Open To Reunion?

St. Louis needs to do everything it can to add to the organization

Sep 5, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; A detailed view of the hat and glove of St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Nolan Gorman (not pictured) before a game against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports / Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

The St. Louis Cardinals clearly will need to go back to the drawing board this upcoming offseason.

St. Louis currently is below .500 with a disappointing 61-63 record. The Cardinals have had a roller coaster of a season to this point. There have been moments where the Cardinals looked like the worst team in the National League and even some where St. Louis has looked like the best club in the league.

Overall, it has been an inconsistent season in St. Louis and it's looking like a second straight campaign without a playoff appearance unless things turn around down the stretch.

When the 2024 season ends no matter what happens down the stretch, the Cardinals will need to reevaluate and find a way to add to the organization.

One familiar option who could help -- although a deal would be unlikely -- is old friend Tyler O'Neill. St. Louis traded him to the Boston Red Sox ahead of the 2024 campaign and he has shined with 22 home runs and 46 RBIs in 82 games played. That type of production would be a boost for the Cardinals.

He will be a free agent at the end of the season and likely won't land a long-term contract because of his injury history, according to The Athletic's Jim Bowden.

"When healthy, Tyler O'Neill has always been an above-average defender, as shown by his two Gold Glove awards, and a legitimate power threat, as shown by his 34 home runs in 2021 with the Cardinals," Bowden said. "However, that was also the only year in his seven seasons that he played 100 or more games and had more than 334 at-bats.

"He's been productive this season with Boston, reaching base at a .357 clip with 22 home runs and a .900 OPS. However he's back on the (Injured List) with a leg infection and his lengthy injury history will likely hurt his chances of getting a long-term contract this winter."

O'Neill recently returned to the field for Boston but the fact that Bowden doesn't think he will get a long-term deal could be music to the Cardinals' ears. If St. Louis could get him on a short-term, cheap deal, why would it not consider a reunion? O'Neill has been healthier this season than he has been in years and could go a long way in fixing the Cardinals' sluggish offense.

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