Why a Tyler O’Neill trade is long overdue

The endurance and promise has ran out.

**UPDATE: TYLER O’NEILL HAS INDEED BEEN TRADED**

2024 could be the first spring training session where the Tyler O’Neill question doesn’t exist for the St. Louis Cardinals. As in, which O’Neill will show up in camp? The second question being how long will he last before an injury occurs?

It’s been a collective frustration for both player, team, and fan base. O’Neill was traded to the Cardinals for Marco Gonzales, and he’s played in 100 games or more in a season just once. That was the lightning rod 2021 season where he smashed 34 home runs and bridged the gap between Nolan Arenado and Paul Goldschmidt. Teams had to deal with all three sluggers, a rarity for a St. Louis lineup to carry that many MVP-type bats.

But that’s the one jewel in a bag of disappointment. O’Neill has produced in other seasons, but nothing close to that performance. He’s the one time Oscar nominee who can’t buy a good role. John Mozeliak and company have been waiting for a repeat performance for years. The time to cut bait is now. If he survives the week in red, I’d be surprised.

Mozeliak mentioned O’Neill when discussing players who could be sent out in a trade. Its a rarity for the longtime team executive to drop an actual name when discussing potential trades, but this could be a new “less f$$ks to give” Mo we’re dealing with during this recovery mission. He knows a lot of work still sits ahead of him and his team, perhaps eating some of the “I waited too damn long” salad as he parcels together a new team of arms.

O’Neill and a couple players could locate a decent bullpen piece. Bundle him and Dylan Carlson in a single trade instead of seeking out individual moves. The future is dire for the latter, as Carlson started the 2023 season as a fourth outfielder, a far drop from where he burst onto the scene a couple years earlier.

Along with Alec Burleson, they’re outfield names that could be on the move. Others could be included, names that you would normally rule out of transactions. But once again, there’s a lot of rehab in order after a 91-loss season.

O’Neill may not land a fish, but they could produce a reliever that could help stabilize a group that blew the most saves and went off the rails often due to injury and overuse.

At the very least, a roster spot is cleared for a young and promising outfielder-a tag that O’Neill once brought to St. Louis. In six years, he’s shown the worth of a long term deal in just one.

Time for a trade.