TAMPA — Despite the Cardinals trading Tyler O’Neill, the new Red Sox outfielder is still seen as having considerable potential by the Cardinals’ top decision-makers. The December trade that sent O’Neill to the Red Sox for Nick Robertson and Victor Santos concluded his 6 ½ year stint with the St. Louis organization. O’Neill is expected to play a significant role in an inexperienced Red Sox outfield mix for the upcoming 2024 season, alongside players like Jarren Duran, Wilyer Abreu, Ceddanne Rafaela, Masataka Yoshida, and Rob Refsnyder.
With a surplus of outfielders, St. Louis sought to trade one during the offseason, receiving inquiries about O’Neill before ultimately dealing him to Boston shortly after the Winter Meetings. According to Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak, the move was primarily driven by roster considerations rather than doubts about O’Neill’s abilities.
Mozeliak praised O’Neill’s talent but highlighted the importance of his staying healthy and delivering consistent performances. O’Neill, acquired by the Cards in 2017 from the Seattle Mariners, has struggled with injuries throughout his career, managing to play over 100 games in a full major league season only once. Despite his injury history, O’Neill’s physical prowess remains impressive.
In his final season with St. Louis, O’Neill had a public disagreement with manager Oli Marmol over a perceived lack of hustle during a game against the Braves. However, both Marmol and Mozeliak downplayed the incident, emphasizing O’Neill’s maturity and professionalism.
As O’Neill joins the Red Sox, both Marmol and Mozeliak believe there’s untapped potential in him. Despite O’Neill being the only outfield addition for the Red Sox this offseason, the team sees significant upside in his defensive skills and offensive capabilities, provided he can stay healthy and find consistency.
