After shipping Alex Verdugo off to the New York Yankees earlier in the week, the Boston Red Sox immediately replaced him on Friday, trading for St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Tyler O'Neill in exchange for RHPs Nick Robertson and Victor Santos.

The Cardinals made it clear they were trying to find O'Neill a new home given their logjam of an outfield and his reoccurring injury problems. The Canadian get a fresh start in Boston and should have no issues playing every day. Although it's hard to make up for the loss of someone like Verdugo, the Red Sox have done their best.

Let's take a look at some trade grades for this deal.

Red Sox: B

O'Neill was top-10 in NL MVP voting in 2021 after slashing .286 with 34 home runs and 80 RBI in 138 games played. Since then, he's struggled to stay healthy though, suiting up 168 times across the last two seasons. That's undoubtedly part of the reason St. Louis parted ways with the slugger. He's also hit just 23 long balls between 2022 and 2023.

That being said, O'Neill was a top prospect for the Mariners before coming over to the Cards and flashed moments of brilliance at times when he was actually on the field. Aside from his power, O'Neill is also a fantastic outfielder with a strong arm and a two-time Gold Glove winner. He can play any three of the outfield spots, giving the Red Sox some versatility.

Craig Breslow recently said he'd like to add a right-handed hitter who can play center field and O'Neill fits the bill. He's played 40 games at the position before. While the former third-round pick does strike out quite a bit, his power should definitely play well at Fenway given the short porch in left field, AKA the Green Monster.

There's always the chance that O'Neill struggles to stay off the IL. If that happens, it would be a shame for the Red Sox. But, it's not like they gave up a couple of top arms to get him. Plus, O'Neill is owed just $5.5 million in 2024 and will become a free agent next winter. If things don't work out, they can always let him walk on the open market.

Overall, this move is worth it for the Red Sox. O'Neill also has a fellow Canadian on the roster in Nick Pivetta, who also hails from British Columbia.

Cardinals: B-

Robertson was drafted by the Dodgers and was on their 40-man roster at one point in 23′ before being sent to the Red Sox in the Enrique Hernandez deal at the deadline. He's got limited experience at the MLB level, tossing just over 22 innings with an ERA north of six. There's no guarantee he'll even be a part of the Cardinals' plan next season, but his strikeout rate is respectable. Robertson could potentially be a bullpen arm for them down the road. You can never have too many relievers.

As for Santos, he's never been a top prospect but did produce a respectable 4.97 ERA across Double-A and Triple-A in 2022 before undergoing Tommy John in 23′. The 23-year-old does pound the strike zone though and could be an option for the back-end of the St. Louis rotation in the future. For what it's worth, Santos is pitching in the Dominican Winter League right now and carving up hitters, posting a 2.96 ERA in 27.1 innings of work.