MLB Rumors: Tyler O’Neill’s future, Braves buzz, NY Mets mistakes

MLB Rumors: Cardinals have a tough choice with Tyler O’Neill

An early-season spat between Cardinals manager Oli Marmol and outfielder Tyler O’Neill didn’t help what was otherwise an underwhelming start by St. Louis baseball standards.

Marmol accused O’Neill of a lack of hustle on a play in which he was thrown out by Braves outfielder Ronald Acuña. He then doubled down by benching O’Neill the day after, and using the Cardinal Way in vane. Can these two coexist in the same organization long-term?

Marmol considers the issue behind them, but O’Neill did suggest that he didn’t like how it was handled. The two spoke in the Cardinals clubhouse, only for Marmol to then go spout of about the veteran outfielder to the media. Who’s the real villain here?

Regardless, St. Louis has a decision to make. Outfield is a position of relative strength for them. They could trade O’Neill, a former Gold Glove award winner, for some pitching depth. But is that the right call? FanSided’s Miranda Remaklus doesn’t think so:

"“The Cardinals need O’Neill’s presence and stability with so much in flux in the outfield. The Cardinals’ most significant need is starting pitching. O’Neill would be a nice piece to the package that could net the Cardinals a top-tier starting pitcher. But a move like this could also create more problems. While the team may get their pitcher, they would be down a top defender with a big bat.”"

As Remaklus notes in her article, St. Louis is already down two outfielders in Dylan Carlson and Lars Nootbaar. That leaves Alec Burleson, Jordan Walker and Juan Yepez as the other outfielders.

A trade for O’Neill may come down the line, but the time is not right.