Yankees Linked To Gold Glove Outfielder To Bolster Injury-Plagued Position
Could a two-time Gold Glove winner with some pop and speed be the weapon the New York Yankees have been searching for to bolster their injury-ridden outfield?
Given the state of the team, it would not hurt.
The Yankees were linked to a 28-year-old outfielder who could fit in perfectly with Aaron Judge and Harrison Bader upon return.
"If (the St. Louis Cardinals) do sell, free agents to be Jordan Montgomery and Jack Flaherty should go. With their outfield glut, Tyler O’Neill is another logical trade candidate," The New York Post's Jon Heyman wrote last week. "He’d fit the Yankees, who could use a left fielder."
A healthy outfield of Judge, Bader and O'Neill would be dominant defensively and above-average at the plate.
Unfortunatly, Bader has aleady had a pair of spouts on the injured list and is just getting back into playing reguarlary for the Yankees, Judge is on the injured list with no timetable and O'Neill is on the 60-day injured list for a back strain -- also with no timetable.
O'Neill only has 29 games played this season but is a career .250 hitter with 131 extra-base hits including 71 home runs, 202 RBIs and a .776 OPS in 434 games -- all with the Cardinals.
His current 162-game pace for a season would be a .250 average with 49 extra-base hits including 27 home runs, 75 RBIs and a 112 OPS+ -- strong offensive output from an elite defender.
That said, he's hitting .228 this season to match his 2022 total and is dealing with a fairly serious back ailment.
If he's healthy by the trade deadline, the Yankees would be wise to inquire. If not, they should refrain from trading for an already injured Gold Glove outfielder from the Cardinals -- which is what they did a season ago.
