Cardinals Rumors: Crucial roster move, Arenado trade lols, Jordan Walker is safe

Cardinals Rumors: Another trade chip off the injured list

It’s unclear if the St. Louis Cardinals view Tyler O’Neill as a piece of their future, or a likely trade chip. Either way, he’s back with the team and ready to contribute.

O’Neill is in the final year of his contract, making him a potential trade asset. St. Louis needs pitching, and O’Neill is a two-time Gold Glove winner. Just yesterday, I pitched a trade package that would send O’Neill to the Atlanta Braves for prospects Victor Vodnik and Luis De Avila. Both are pitchers and on the verge of being MLB-ready, with Vodnik likely ready to slide into an MLB rotation sooner rather than later.

However, FanSided MLB insider Robert Murray shot down that trade fit, namely because Atlanta wouldn’t necessarily want to replace one injured outfielder (Eddie Rosario) with another in O’Neill. That’s fair. He also noted that the Cards have floated the possibility of keeping the Canadian, if only as a leverage tactic:

"“O’Neill, meanwhile, has been on the outside looking in with the Cardinals all season. While there are reports that suggest that the team wants him to be their every day left fielder once he comes off the Injured List, that could be a leverage tactic to get opposing teams to up their offers for the power-hitting slugger.”"

Were St. Louis to view O’Neill as a key part of their 2024 team, they could certainly afford him. Injuries and poor offensive numbers have brought down his financial value quite a bit.