Cardinals trade outfielder Tyler O’Neill for more pitching, team confirms

Forty-eight hours after John Mozeliak expressed doubt that the Cardinals were close to a deal this week, one they’d been seeking has materialized.

Outfielder Tyler O’Neill, two years removed from a top 10 finish in NL MVP voting, has been traded to the Boston Red Sox, the team announced Friday.

In return, the Cardinals will get right-handed pitchers Nick Robertson and Victor Santos.

O’Neill, 28, has managed only 649 plate appearances in the last two seasons while battling a barrage of injuries. His .707 OPS in that timeframe is a far cry from his breakout 2021 season, where he became a fixture in the middle of the lineup but also displayed a ceiling he has not yet been able to reach again while struggling to stay on the field.

On Monday, at the winter meetings, Mozeliak took the rare step of confirming that the team was seeking to trade O’Neill, and later in the weekend explained that they simply lacked requisite at-bats for him with Lars Nootbaar and Jordan Walker ensconced in the outfield corners

.O’Neill was also the center of controversy early in the 2023 season when he was publicly criticized by manager Oliver Marmol after being thrown out at the plate in a game against Atlanta. The two mended fences toward the end of the season, but by all accounts, it was clear by then to both parties that all were best served by a fresh start.

“As we look to add pitching depth, as well as address concerns on potential playing time in the outfield, we felt this deal worked well in addressing both of those issues,” said Cardinals’ President of Baseball Operations John Mozeliak, in a statement following Friday’s trade. “We are excited to add Nick to our bullpen, and we feel Victor gives us added depth in our minor league system.”

Robertson, 25, made his major league debut in 2023 with the Los Angeles Dodgers, who selected him in the seventh round of the 2019 MLB draft out of James Madison University. The team traded him to Boston in July as part of a larger deal for veteran outfielder Kike Hernandez.

In 10 total innings across nine games, Robertson allowed 10 runs on 17 hits, but also struck out 13 batters while walking four. He was 4-1 with a 3.16 ERA and struck out 58 in 42 innings with two Triple-A clubs. He’ll maintain his rookie status in 2024.

Santos, a native of the Dominican Republic, was originally signed as an international free agent by Philadelphia in 2016. He was traded to Boston in July of 2021 and earned a non-roster invite to the Red Sox major league spring training camp in February.

The 6-1, 222-pound Santos missed the 2023 season due to arm discomfort, but has been pitching recently in the Dominican Republic Winter League, posting a 3-0 mark with a 2.96 ERA in seven games, five of them starts.

Santos combined for 145.0 innings pitched in 2022 between the Portland Sea Dogs (AA) and Worcester Red Sox (AAA), going 10-12 with a 1.27 WHIP in his 29 games, including 25 starts.

This story was originally published December 8, 2023 at 4:56 PM.