Cardinals' John Mozeliak Reveals Which Player He's Listening To Trade Offers For
The St. Louis Cardinals have handled their top offseason priority of retooling the rotation and are now looking at other areas of improvement.
The Cardinals are offensively and defensively in a good spot, and no major moves should be needed in those departments.
One piece of the puzzle that needs help is the bullpen and one outfielder might be traded to help that cause.
"Tyler O'Neill is somebody that we are listening to on trades," Cardinals' president of baseball operations John Mozeliak said on MLB Network Radio on Monday when discussing the state of St. Louis' offense going into 2024.
O'Neill batted .231 with 23 extra-base hits including nine home runs, 21 RBIs, and a .715 OPS in 72 games played for the Cardinals last season.
Between Mozeliak's statement and the fact that the right-handed hitter is going into his final year of arbitration, it's more than likely O'Neill will be traded. Typically, whenever a general manager specifically mentions a player's name in a trade -- it implies that said player is as good as gone.
The Cardinals have a plethora of outfielders with Lars Nootbaar, Jordan Walker, Dylan Carlson, Alec Burleson and Richie Palacios on the roster. Tommy Edman and Brendon Donovan can play outfield in a pinch as well.
Trading away O'Neill -- who is estimated to receive $5.4 million in arbitration according to Spotrac -- would lower the Cardinals' payroll and would clear out the logjam facing the outfield group.
Mozeliak doesn't seem to be expecting a big return for O'Neill but perhaps trading the 28-year-old away could aid the Cardinals' efforts to bolster the bullpen.
It's never easy to see a homegrown talent like O'Neill get traded away but it looks like that's the direction the ballclub needs to go in.
More MLB: Cardinals' John Mozeliak Pours Cold Water On St. Louis Engaging In Trade For Pitching
