The St. Louis Cardinals have recovered somewhat after a challenging start to the 2024 season, improving their standing from last to third in the NL Central as of May 25th. Despite beginning with a 24-26 record, they recently won 8 of their last 10 games.
During the offseason, Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak made several moves to strengthen a team that had a disappointing 71-91 record in 2023. While improving pitching was a priority, the trade involving outfielder Tyler O’Neill stood out as potentially problematic.
An article from Bleacher Report’s Kerry Miller on May 21 highlighted “1 Offseason Mulligan Each MLB Team Wishes It Had,” pointing to the Cardinals’ trade of O’Neill to the Boston Red Sox. O’Neill, now 28 years old, has excelled offensively with 11 home runs, 17 RBIs, and 29 runs scored in his first 148 at-bats of the 2024 season.
Miller wrote, “O’Neill is in his final season before hitting free agency, and the Cardinals had a logjam of what appeared to be serviceable outfielders. Trading him to Boston for a pair of pitching prospects made sense.”
However, the quartet of Jordan Walker, Victor Scott II, Michael Siani, and Dylan Carlson, acquired in the trade, have failed to contribute, combining for zero home runs in 247 plate appearances. This has significantly impacted the Cardinals’ offense, which currently ranks last in the National League in runs scored, with a record six games below .500.
O’Neill returned to Busch Stadium on May 17 when the Red Sox visited St. Louis for a three-game series. He received a warm welcome from Cardinal Nation, including applause from the Cardinals’ dugout and manager Oliver Marmol, despite previous criticisms from Marmol in 2023. O’Neill mentioned in a recent interview that he and Marmol have reconciled, with mutual respect for each other.
Reflecting on his return, O’Neill stated on the ‘Foul Territory’ podcast, “I’m happy it’s all behind us, and Oli and I were able to move past it…We ended on good terms out there, so that I’m very thankful for. I have nothing but gratitude and thanks for the city and the organization in St. Louis, but everything comes to an end, and it was my time this time.”
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