The St. Louis Cardinals recently traded outfielder Tyler O'Neill to the Boston Red Sox. So what's next for St. Louis?

“The Cardinals, fresh off trading Tyler O’Neill, are expected to focus on acquiring a high-leverage reliever (likely through free agency) next,” Katie Woo of The Athletic reports.

The Cardinals endured a miserable 2023 season. St. Louis' offense was not to blame, though, as the lineup produced decent results. The team's pitching staff struggled mightily throughout the campaign, however.

St. Louis received pitching help in the O'Neill trade, but they still need to continue adding pitchers in order to turn things around and compete in 2024. Pitching is unquestionably the Cardinals' top priority.

Cardinals' roster ahead of 2024 season

St. Louis already agreed to a contract with right-handed pitcher Sonny Gray. They also brought in veteran right-hander Lance Lynn. Still, adding another starting pitcher or two wouldn't hurt by any means.

The bullpen features potential. However, the Cardinals need to sign/trade for more relief options. And according to Woo, that is their plan moving forward. The Cardinals want to find a reliable arm who can pitch big innings for the ballclub during the upcoming 2024 season.

It appears that free agency will be St. Louis' best option for adding a reliever. Don't rule out the possibility of a trade, though. The Cardinals have utilized trades in the past, even small ones, to improve their roster.

They won't hesitate to make a move if a reliever that they are interested in is made available by another team.

The Cardinals' roster is far from perfect at the moment, but there is a path to quickly improving it. And perhaps, St. Louis will accomplish enough during the offseason to compete once again in 2024.