If Cardinals trade Tyler O’Neill, this destination makes perfect sense

If the St. Louis Cardinals decide to eventually deal Tyler O’Neill to strengthen their roster in other areas, there is one trade partner that makes perfect sense.

Let’s be clear … the St. Louis Cardinals are not trading Tyler O’Neill in the wake of the clubhouse drama that captured all of the headlines at the beginning of the season. Heading into Friday’s action, the 27-year-old O’Neill is slashing .279/.311/.442 with a pair of homers and is also showing that he can be a center fielder the Cardinals can count on, night in and night out.

However, with the emergence of Jordan Walker this season, the Cardinals also have plenty of outfield options, making O’Neill a player that has been and will continue to be talked about in trade rumors.

Cardinals and Miami Marlins could be perfect trade partners in a potential Tyler O’Neill deal

After a shaky start to the season, the Cardinals need pitching and that is one of the strengths of the Marlins, both in terms of quality and in depth. Meanwhile, Miami is looking for an answer in center field, with even Jazz Chisholm Jr. moving to the position from the infield in order to try to make the team better.

With that in mind, the two teams could make a deal that would benefit each other. Before the start of the year, news broke that the Marlins and Colorado Rockies had discussed a deal that would bring Gold Glove-winning second baseman Brendan Rodgers to Miami in exchange for pitcher Edward Cabrera. The Marlins were willing to move a starting pitcher then to improve the team, and it’s likely Miami would still consider the offer if it would bring O’Neill to south Florida and secure the spot in center field.

Granted, the Marlins used starting pitcher Pablo Lopez as a trade piece with the Minnesota Twins to land Luis Arraez, a deal that has worked out well for both squads. Would the Marlins be willing to pull the trigger on a deal revolving around their starting pitching again?

Cabrera won’t be a free agent until the 2029 campaign. O’Neill is under team control until the 2025 campaign, so that is a consideration for both teams.

On paper, the deal makes a lot of sense. However, with the season still young and O’Neill still very much believed in the clubhouse to be a key to the team’s success in 2023, nothing seems imminent with a trade. However, as the MLB trade deadline nears, this could be a deal that could benefit the Cardinals in the same way they benefitted from acquiring Jose Quintana before last season’s deadline.