Cardinals: Tyler O’Neill not going anywhere this offseason, report says

Some have speculated that Tyler O’Neill could be on the move this offseason, but Derrick Goold is reporting otherwise.

As the off-season continues to unfold for the St. Louis Cardinals, a few different names have been speculated to be on the move as the club looks to retool for 2023. One of the most frequent names brought up in those discussions has been Tyler O’Neill.

After finishing top-10 in Most Valuable Player voting in 2021, O’Neill followed that up with a disappointing 2022 season where he appeared in just 96 games with a .700 OPS. For as bad as people thought O’Neill was last season, his OPS only finished 6 points below league average, and the season before that he had a .912 OPS.

As the Cardinals look to bring more certainty to their lineup in 2023, O’Neill will reportedly get another shot to prove that he is more than capable of being the Cardinals starting left fielder and an impact bat or their lineup. When asked how the outfield would shake up next year, and if O’Neill would be getting another chance, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch had this to say.

I don’t know yet. But, yes, the Cardinals want to have Tyler O’Neill reassert his place as the left fielder they want/need. They’re going to give him that chance

Some may be frustrated by this concept, but it would be foolish not to give O’Neill another chance in 2023 unless the club was blown away by an offer another club made. O’Neill had an injury plagued 2022 season, and whenever he got into a groove, injury would strike again. The 27-year old is spending most of his off-season in St. Louis, working with the training staff to better his body for next year.

The hope is that O’Neill can avoid those soft tissue injures he struggled with in 2022, and get back to mashing the ball once again for the Cardinals. O’Neill’s ceiling is way too high to give up on this soon, and even his floor as an elite defensive player with power is a valuable piece to have on your team.

If O’Neill cannot produce to begin 2023, manager Oli Marmol will not hesitate to remove O’Neill from the lineup. The outfielder deserves a chance to prove himself once again in 2023, and I for one believe he will turn things around.

To stay up to date on all things Cardinals this offseason, check out our Cardinals offseason tracker.