The former Phillies target is placed on the trading block
The former Phillies target is placed on the Trade Block by the Cardinals
Prior to the trade deadline during the 2023 season, the Philadelphia Phillies were reportedly interested in completing a deal with the St. Louis Cardinals.
Now that player is available for trade talks again this season. One area of concern that was completely reversed during the 2023 season for the Philadelphia Phillies was the outfield issues.
They had one of the worst defenses in MLB with Kyle Schwarber in left field and Nick Castellanos in right field due to Bryce Harper’s recovery from elbow surgery. Much of that disappeared when Harper moved to first base, allowing Schwarber to become the full-time schedule hitter, and they called up Johan Rojas from the minors who became an elite defender.
Prior to these internal moves, the Phillies were looking for infield help ahead of the trade deadline. One player they would be interested in would be Tyler O’Neill of the St. Louis Cardinals.
Ultimately, no deal was reached as Dave Dombrowski became familiar with the new roster and its prospects for the remainder of the season.
However, after Rojas had batting issues in the playoffs, the president of baseball operations indicated that they were looking to add some depth to the outfield to round out their current roster in case the young center fielder continued to play. have difficulty hitting.
Now, if Philadelphia wants to make a deal for O’Neill, he is available for trade talks, according to Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak. “If we were to play the outfield tomorrow, it would probably be Lars Nootbaar, Tommy Edman and Jordan Walker. Our fourth outfielder would be Dylan Carlson.
Tyler O’Neill is someone who is us.” listening to the operations,” he said on MLB Network’s Sirius XM channel.The 28-year-old would be under club control through the 2024 season before hitting free agency.
What kind of package St. Louis is looking for in return is unknown after O’Neill struggled the past two years following his breakout season in 2021. Since hitting 34 homers and 80 RBIs this year, he’s only totaled 23 homers and 79 RBIs over the past two seasons.
Still, he has solid hitting numbers with a career slash line of .248/.318/.458. Defensively, he has been primarily used in left and center field, with his last appearance in right field coming in 2019.
With no known asking price, it’s difficult to speculate if the Phillies are interested in making a deal for O’Neill, but if they view him as a player that fits their needs, he is now available for trade talks this offseason.
