St. Louis Cardinals’ outfielder Tyler O’Neill has been a subject of dialog for a few years now. The previous MVP candidate has fallen mightily since 2021 when he had a slash line of .286/.352/.560 for an OPS+ of 148. He additionally received a Gold Glove that 12 months, solely bolstering his MVP case. In 2022 and 2023, O’Neill slashed .229/.310/.397 for an OPS+ of simply 97 in solely 572 at-bats. O’Neill is arbitration eligible and may very well be tendered a contract at this time because the deadline is that this night.
O’Neill’s strikeout fee decreased and his stroll fee elevated since 2021, however his hard-hit fee is the place he primarily noticed a distinction. It plummeted from 52.2% to 43.3% in each 2022 and 2023. Defensively, Tyler hasn’t taken a step again. In keeping with Outs Above Common, he has been a constructive defender in left discipline since his rookie season. Since 2021, O’Neill has collected 11 Defensive Runs Saved. He has a powerful arm and respectable vary, excellent for a nook outfield spot.
As a result of weak free agent marketplace for place gamers, the commerce marketplace for place gamers might warmth up throughout the Scorching Range. The Cardinals, a staff with loads of place participant depth, might make the most of groups seeking to improve their offense. If John Mozeliak finds a staff that has a glut of pitching expertise however a dearth of offensive firepower, he might have discovered an ideal accomplice for Tyler O’Neill.
There are lots of groups which have a necessity for an outfield energy bat. The bonus with O’Neill is his Gold Glove-caliber protection. The New York Yankees, Arizona Diamondbacks, Cleveland Guardians, Detroit Tigers, Houston Astros, and the San Francisco Giants might all use an improve within the outfield. Every of those groups appears poised to contend for at the least their divisions subsequent season (excluding presumably the Detroit Tigers, however you by no means know with the American League Central), and so they might all use an improve within the nook outfield.
Listed here are six groups who would profit by buying and selling for Tyler O’Neill and what they may present the Cardinals in alternate.
