The St. Louis Cardinals have been busy early on this offseason as they attempt to bounce back from their ugly 2023 campaign, but their work isn't done just yet. After bringing in three new starting pitchers in Sonny Gray, Lance Lynn, and Kyle Gibson already, the Cardinals have now turned their attention towards trading one of their outfielders for more pitching help, and it sounds like Tyler O'Neill may be the odd man out.

Along with O'Neill, the Cards have Lars Nootbaar, Tommy Edman, Jordan Walker, and Dylan Carlson in their outfield, so it's clear that somebody from this group needs to be moved. While other guys have seen their names pop up in trade rumors, O'Neill appears to be the frontrunner to get dealt, and the Cards will be looking to pick up a relief pitcher in exchange for the talented outfielder.

“In an effort to alleviate their outfield logjam, the Cardinals are actively listening to offers for Tyler O’Neill…In an ideal world, the Cardinals would prefer to land relief pitching in exchange for O’Neill. Bolstering the bullpen is the next priority for St. Louis, after Mozeliak acquired three starters, including prized free agent Sonny Gray, last month. The trade market has been slow to develop up to this point, however.” – Katie Woo, The Athletic

Tyler O'Neill could yield a decent return for the Cardinals

Cardinals, Tyler O'Neill

O'Neill has won a pair of Gold Gloves throughout his career with St. Louis, and even finished eighth in the National League MVP race back in 2021 (.286 BA, 34 HR, 80 RBI, 15 SB, .912 OPS). O'Neill has struggled to stay on the field over the past two seasons, though, and it looks like the Cardinals are ready to cut bait with him this offseason.

With their starting rotation already receiving a big boost through free agency, shoring up the bullpen is a good idea, and O'Neill could net a decent return from a team that is in need of outfielders. It's been known that the Cardinals were intent on dealing an outfielder this offseason, and it seems like O'Neill could be finding himself on a new team in the near future.