Cardinals Reportedly Actively Looking To Trade Gold Glove Outfielder

St. Louis could use some pitching in return for whoever is dealt at the deadline

The St. Louis Cardinals have a well-known log jam in the outfield and clear needs elsewhere -- especially on the pitching side of things.

St. Louis currently has outfielders Alec Burleson, Óscar Mercado, Lars Nootbar and Juan Yepez already on the active roster with Dylan Carlson (left ankle sprain) and Tyler O'Neill (lower back strain) on the injured list. They also have the No. 1 prospect in baseball according to MLB Pipeline, Jordan Walker, waiting in the wings with Triple-A Memphis.

While injuries are constant and depth is massively important, the Cardinals would be wise to move at least one or two of these players in exchange for an upgrade to the pitching staff. One player reportedly already is being shopped.

 "St. Louis has hitters galore and rivals believe Tyler O’Neill could be available," The New York Post's Jon Heyman wrote Friday. 

While that report on its own is far from concrete, The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal reported that O'Neill was almost traded to the Miami Marlins last winter and likely will continue to be shopped.

The Athletic's Jim Bowden wrote that they will "listen to offers" on O'Neill as well as Carlson, Burleson and Yepez.

O'Neill is hitting just .228 with six extra-base hits including a pair of home runs, six RBIs and a .620 OPS in 29 games. St. Louis would not be selling high on the two-time Gold Glove outfielder but he does have another season of team control and the larger sample size implies he'll be a much more productive player moving forward. A move would make it easier for manager Oli Marmol to sort out his outfield -- possibly with Walker in the mix. 

Marmol and O'Neill had a well-documented spat after the skipper accused his rangy outfielder of not hustling home after being thrown out. While that matter became a bigger deal than it should have been, it should not be a major factor in choosing who to trade. O'Neill makes the most sense given his age, contract situation and current level of play. 

The Cardinals will be in the market for pitching and O'Neill could be one of the main players in a package for a quality hurler.

More MLB: Angels' Shohei Ohtani Linked To Cardinals As Top Destination For Potential Trade