Cardinals Reportedly Still Will 'Entertain' Trading Young Outfielder For Starting Pitching Upgrade
The St. Louis Cardinals may end up being one of the most active teams around the 2023 MLB Trade Deadline.
St. Louis has struggled this season and currently is in last place in the National League Central with a surprising 17-26 record. Although this is the case, the Cardinals have started to turn things around and have won seven of their last nine games. When the trade deadline comes around, the Cardinals could go either way. If the Cardinals can continue to pull themselves out of the gutter and fight for a postseason spot, they likely will be heavy buyers. If the bottom falls out and the club struggles, they could be sellers.
The Cardinals won 93 games last season and certainly have the talent to turn things around so it wouldn't be too surprising if they can get back on track. Starting pitching has been the club's biggest struggle so far this season so it also wouldn't be too surprising if the team were to add a high-level hurler later this summer. One of the Cardinals' biggest trade pieces certainly will be outfielder Tyler O'Neill who has been in rumors seemingly all season. Although the club reportedly has some fear about trading O'Neill, the club reportedly still will entertain the idea, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch's Derrick Goold.
"The answer is yes the Cardinals will entertain trading Tyler O'Neill for starting pitching, and that is not related to the shoulder or anything other than the Cardinals has an outfield situation right now that they like and O'Neill is on the (injured list)," Goold said. "If (Dylan Carlson's) absence is for a bit, the equation changes, but they expected to have a roster bind when O'Neill returned — and that included the plan to have (Willson Contreras) get some looks in LF.
"While that changed, that doesn't change the overlap. If the Cardinals see the conversation for a trade, they'll have it, and yes they are wary of another (Randy Arozarena) situation. That has been on their mind the past few years, and it was a driving talking point a year or so ago when the team talked about committing outfielders like O'Neill and Carlson and not running into that same situation where another team gives them playing time and sees the talent bloom."
O'Neill seems like the most likely player to be dealt by St. Louis around the trade deadline. He is just 27 years old and already has proven he can be one of the best defensive outfielders in all of baseball as he has racked up two Gold Glove awards. He has dealt with a plethora of injuries, but when fully healthy he also has shown that he can be a solid offensive contributor for a club.
The young outfielder is under team control until 2025 so it's likely that the price to acquire him would be somewhat high. O'Neill alone may not get the Cardinals a top-of-the-rotation starting pitcher, but a package along with at least one prospect could get the job done.
O'Neill has been in rumors seemingly since Opening Day and it doesn't sound like they are going to slow down.
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